TEHRAN – The European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) decision to allow Israel into the 2025 Eurovision contest has triggered a wave of condemnation. The Swiss winner of 2024 announced they would return their trophy, arguing that Eurovision’s stated values of “unity, inclusion and dignity for all” are fundamentally at odds with Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.
This protest is not symbolic alone; it exposes a deeper contradiction. By permitting Israel’s participation, the EBU undermines its own credibility. International bodies, including the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry, have concluded that Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to genocide. Ignoring such findings while celebrating cultural unity transforms Eurovision from a festival of music into a platform for political whitewashing.
The boycott by Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland, and the Netherlands adds weight to this critique. These nations recognize that engagement with Israel in cultural arenas risks normalizing violence and erasing accountability. Their refusal highlights a growing divide: institutions that claim to defend human rights versus those that prioritize spectacle over principle.
Israel’s inclusion is not a neutral act. It legitimizes an entity accused of destroying homes, hospitals, and schools, and of restricting humanitarian aid. Such actions violate international law and erode the moral foundation of any institution that accepts them.
The Swiss winner’s rejection of the trophy crystallizes the issue: integrity cannot coexist with complicity. Eurovision now stands as a case study in how cultural platforms collapse when they ignore justice. The broader lesson is clear — Israel’s actions demand accountability, and silence only deepens the crisis of legitimacy.
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