The Eurovision 2025: the pillow fight starts here
The Eurovision 2025: the pillow fight starts here
Slovenia has officially requested that Israel be banned
It’s December 2024, and Eurovision 2025 starts will be held in May 2025. Yet the pillow fights – a leftover from the 2024 edition – are already starting. The Slovenian broadcaster RTVSLO has demanded that Israel be disqualified from the event. The demand comes as countries start to announce their qualifying events for the show in Basel, Switzerland.
Israel’s participation last year was already contested by several member corporations. They argued that just as Russia is no longer participating due to the invasion of Ukraine, so Israel should not take part due to the war in Gaza. This is bad news, as the Eurovision slogan is “United by Music”. Plus, the organising body EBU just announced measures to avoid the tensions that reigned backstage at Malmö last year.
Furthermore, Slovenian officials have stated that if the organising body EBU rejects their request, the country may withdraw from the contest in protest. This ultimatum underscores Slovenia’s continued condemnation of Israel’s actions, which President Natasa Pirc Musar has been criticizing on international platforms.
In 2024, Israel was requested (and accepted) to change the lyrics of their song to be perceived as less political. The participation at Malmö, however, was marked by protests inside and outside the venue as well as tensions backstage.
It is unlikely that the EBU will follow Slovenia’s resolution, however, as they have already announced the 38 broadcasters that will take part, including Israel. Some have already announced their final contestants. Meanwhile, in the Israeli qualifying contest Daniel Weiss, a survivor of the Hamas massacre, teamed up with the well-known Arab Israeli singer, Valerie Hamaty.