Iceland has joined Spain and Slovenia in questioning the European Broadcasting Association’s decision to allow Israel to participate in the Eurovision Song Content.
Citing the conflict in Gaza Iceland’s Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir has described the decision to allow the country to participate as “strange and unnatural”
‘As a private citizen, it seems strange and, in fact, unnatural to allow Israel to participate in Eurovision, given the war crimes and, in fact, the ethnic cleansing that has taken place in Gaza in recent weeks and months,’ she stated during a recent interview.
Þorgerður stressed that decisions around the competition rested with the broadcasters involved in the event, but Iceland’s broadcaster RUV had subsequently confirmed they have raised concern.
In 2024 there were widespread calls for Israel to be removed from the competition and for other nations to boycott the event if Israel remained. Russia is currently banned from Eurovision over their invasion of Ukraine.
Israel made their Eurovision debut in 1973 and have participated in the event 46 times. They’ve won the competition four times and hosted on three subsequent years.
Back-to-back wins came in the late 1970s, Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta won in 1978 with A-Ba-Ni-Bi, and the following year when the competition was held in Jerusalem they won again with Milk and Honey performing Hallelujah. in 1980 they unexpected turned down the opportunity to host again, and did not enter either.
Their third win came in 1998 when Dana International won with the song Diva. She was the first transgender person to win Eurovision. Their fourth win came in 2018 when Netta won with the song Toy.
This year Israel will be sending Yuval Raphael to the Basel to sing her song New Day Will Rise. Raphael is a survivor of the October 7th Hamas attack on the Nova Sukkot Music Festival.
New flag rules: Palestinian flags allowed
Eurovision organisers have confirmed that Palestinian flags will be allowed in the audience at the festival, despite there not being a Palestinian competitor.
They say flags recognised by the host country will be permitted, and as Switzerland recognises Palestine, audience members may wave the distinctive green, red, black and white flag. Artists however may only display their country’s flag.
There had been some suggestion that Pride flags, and other flags that represents sexualities and gender might be banned. Organisers have now confirmed that the only flags that will be removed are those which are illegal in Switzerland, such as the flags of terrorist organisations.
Last year’s winner Nemo has previously spoken about how they had to smuggle the nonbinary flag on stage when they won with their song which was about being non-binary.
Conchita Wurst shares new EP
It’s twelve years since Conchita Wurst won Eurovision and she’s back with a new EP which is described as “reimagined organic orchestral versions of songs long performed live.”
The title track is Mrs Thomas, also on the EP is Waters Run Deep, Any Day from Now and acoustic takes on All I Wanna Do and That’s What I Am.
ADONXS covers Troye Sivan
In the lead up to this year’s competition artists have been releasing covers of songs they love and artist’s they admire.
Czechia’s ADONXS has picked Troye Sivan’s My My My! giving it a different vibe with his soaring vocals and the backing of some epic strings.
The former lead singer of London-based alternative band Pace, Adonxs released their debut solo album in 2022.
They’re out and proud, and a previous winner of Superstar, the local version of the Idol franchise. He’s also been a runway model, strutting down the catwalk for Alexander McQueen in Milan when he was just 16, and fronted the award winning ‘Every Love is Love’ campaign.
They song for Eurovision 2025 is Kiss Kiss Goodbye.
