Tonight Ireland’s Eurovision entry will be decided in a Late Late Show Special, but Israel competing in the competition remains a growing concern.
Tonight, The Late Late Eurosong Special will see one act named as Ireland’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest.
Six acts are up for the spot – Ailsha, Erica Cody, JyellowL and Toshín, Bambie Thug, Isabella Kearney and Next in Line, and one will go to participate in Malmo, Sweden in May.
However, calls to boycott the Eurovision because of Israel’s participation in the competition has been growing due to Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, with louder accusations and allegations of genocide and war crimes committed by Israel, in the wake of Hamas attacks and the militant group’s taking of hostages in October.
The death toll in Gaza has now reached 26,000 people, 70% of them women and children it has been reported.
Today, the International Court Of Justice ordered Israel ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, after South Africa took a case against Israel.
There is precedent in the Eurovision for a country being banned outright. In 2022, Russia was excluded for invading Ukraine.
A petition addressed to RTE from Irish Artists demanding the exclusion of Israel from Eurovision 2024 on Uplift has now reached 11,000+ signatures and adds to pressure on Ireland to respond and stand alongside Iceland and Finland in rejecting Israel inclusion in the Eurovision.
Irish Eurovision entrants Erica Cody and Bambie Thug who are in the running for tonight’s entry have publicly said that Israel should not be allowed enter the Eurovision this year at a press event in RTÉ.
“I think we need to see the same energy that was given to Russia when they invaded Ukraine,” said Erica Cody. “I don’t stand behind genocide. I think it’s an absolute disgrace. Eurovision is meant to be a celebration of life and music and acceptance and love.”
When asked if her song won, and Israel were allowed to compete, Cody said she would “cross that bridge when we get to it”.
Meanwhile, another Eurovision entrant Bambie Thug concurred, saying “I think that when Russia was made leave the competition… there should be the same rules for everyone. But also it’s not down to contestants, it’s down to the Eurovision.”
Yet, the Eurovision organisers – EBU (European Broadcasting Union) member organisations approved Israel’s public broadcaster’s KAN participation in the competition, despite Russa’s exclusion previously, saying it “meets all the competition rules and can participate in the contest next year”.
In 2022, Martin Österdahl, Eurovision’s executive supervisor said of the decision to ban Russia – “When we say we are not political, what we always should stand up for are the basic and ultimate values of democracy.”
A spokesperson for RTÉ said: “RTÉ has always approached the event in the spirit in which it was founded – which is a non-political contest designed to unite audiences and bring people together through a shared love of music and entertainment. 36 nations including Ireland will take part in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. RTÉ is not aware of any participating Public Service Broadcaster who is planning to boycott the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest.”
In 2019, a Palestine solidarity concert took place in the National Stadium the same night as the Eurovision in protest of the competition in Israel that year – in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
That year, The Late Late Show hosted a debate around the issue and there were calls for a boycott in 2019 too, in response to the Israeli occupation in Palestine.
Tonight’s Late Late show host Patrick Kielty refused to be drawn on the issue.
“I’m not in the EBU. They’re the people that make that decision. I’m not a representative of Eurovision “You know, I happily talked about this on the show before, I think what’s going on in Gaza at the minute is heartbreaking… but in terms of this it’s somebody else’s question,” Kielty said.
