25 June, 2018
Palestinian activist groups are calling for a boycott of the 2019 Eurovision song contest, set to be held in Israel.
In an open letter, the groups said they are seeking a boycott because of Israel's continuing actions against Palestinians. The letter was signed by an organization representing Palestinian reporters and by several Palestinian cultural organizations.
Israeli singer Netta Barzilai won the hugely popular Eurovision contest last month in Lisbon, Portugal. The competition traditionally moves to the country of the winner from year to year.
The letter said the competition "must be boycotted to avoid complicity and business-as-usual" with the Israeli government. It added that a boycott is a way to pressure Israel to obey "international law and to respect the human rights of Palestinians."
The letter also calls on the European Broadcasting Union, or EBU – which is in charge of Eurovision – not to support the contest in Israel. So far, however, the EBU has not shown any signs that it is considering a boycott of the