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Austria's Eurovision winner wants 2026 edition 'without Israel' / Photo: © AFP
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Austria's Eurovision winner wants 2026 edition 'without Israel'
This year's Eurovision Song Contest winner Austrian singer JJ called for Israel to be excluded from next year's competition in an interview published Thursday.
He also expressed regret over Israel's participation in this year's competition despite the war in Gaza.
Eurovision has faced criticism for allowing Israel to participate in the contest despite the devastating Gaza war. This year, pro-Palestinian activists staged protests during the extravaganza in Switzerland over the weekend.
Russia has not been allowed to participate in Eurovision since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
"It is very disappointing to see that Israel continues to participate in the contest," the 24-year-old countertenor told Spanish daily El Pais in an interview.
"I would like next year's Eurovision to take place in Vienna without Israel," he added.
"But the ball is in the court" of the organiser, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), he said.
"We, the artists, can only express our views on the subject."
JJ, whose real name is Johannes Pietsch, also called for "greater transparency" regarding the public vote, after Israeli singer Yuval Raphael was propelled into second place.
Israel's entrant survived the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war, hiding beneath bodies as Hamas gunmen attacked a music festival, killing hundreds.
"This year, everything happened in a very strange way," said JJ.
The singer faced a backlash over his comments in Austria, one of Israel's staunchest supporters in Europe.
The country's public broadcaster ORF distanced itself from his remarks, saying they "reflected a personal opinion", APA news agency reported.
JJ said he was "sorry if his comments had been misinterpreted" via his record label Warner.
On Monday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, one of the most outspoken critics of the Israeli government, said Israel should be excluded from Eurovision.
He expressed his solidarity with "the people of Palestine who are experiencing the injustice of war and bombardment".
"What we cannot allow is double standards in culture," Sanchez said in reference to Russia's ban.
Israel has come under massive international pressure to abandon its intensified military campaign in Gaza and allow urgent humanitarian aid into the besieged strip.
Hamas's 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed 53,762 people in Gaza, mainly civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
G.Collins--SFF
