GENEVA — Swiss singer Nemowinner of the 2024 tournament Eurovision Song Contestsaid Thursday it would return the trophy to the winner because Israel is allowed to compete in the politically problematic pop music competition.
In an Instagram video, Nemo picked up a glass ornament shaped like a microphone and said, “Today I no longer feel like this trophy belongs on my shelf.”
“Eurovision says it stands for unity, inclusiveness and the dignity of all people,” Nemo said, adding that Israel's participation, given its behavior in the competition, war against Hamas in the Gaza Stripshows that these ideals are at odds with the decisions of the organizers.
The non-binary singer won the competition in May 2024 with her pop-opera ode “Code.”
Five countries have said they will boycott the 2026 competition after the organizers refused to expel Israel: Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia and Iceland.
“When entire countries refuse to participate, it should be clear that something is deeply wrong,” Nemo said before putting the trophy in a box that they said would be sent to the headquarters of the European Broadcasting Union in Geneva, which hosts Eurovision.
Next year's Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to be held in Vienna in May after Austrian singer JJ won the 2025 competition in Basel, Switzerland. According to Eurovision tradition, the winning country will host next year.
The strikes have cast a shadow over the future of what should have been an enjoyable cultural party marked by friendly rivalries and disco beats.
The competition, which turns 70 in 2026, strives to put pop music above politics but has repeatedly been embroiled in world events. Russia was expelled in 2022 after full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The war in the Gaza Strip has rocked the country for the past two years. protests outside venues and forcing the organizers to suppress waving a political flag.
Opponents of Israeli participation cite the war in Gaza, where more than 70,000 Palestinians were killedThis is according to the territory's Ministry of Health, which operates under the Hamas-run government and whose detailed data is considered reliable by the international community.
The Israeli government has repeatedly defended its campaign as a response to an attack by Hamas-led militants on October 7, 2023. During the attack, the militants killed about 1,200 people (mostly civilians) and took 251 hostages.
A number of experts, including those commissioned by UN bodies, have said that Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip amounts to genocide, a claim Israel strongly rejects.
