The Austrian Singer JJ 24, winner of Eurovision this year, defended in an interview published on Thursday (22) that Israel is excluded from the 2026 edition in Vienna due to the war in Gaza.
The Eurovision, which emphasizes its political neutrality, faced controversies again this year linked to the conflict. An Israeli military campaign killed more than 53,000 Palestinians in Gaza according to the Palestinian health authorities, since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people, according to Israeli counts.
Pro-Palestinian groups had urged the European Union of Broadcast to exclude Israel from the 2025 contest, but Yuval Raphael of Israel, survivor of the October 7 attack, emerged as the winner of popular vote, ending second overall, behind JJ.
“It is very disappointing to see Israel still participating in the contest. I would like the next Eurovision to be held in Vienna and without Israel “Said JJ, 24, quoted by the Spanish newspaper El País.
The Israeli embassy in Madrid did not immediately respond to a request for commentary from Reuters.
With his song “Wasted Love”, the lyrical singer – whose real name is Johannes Pietsch – won the vote of the Eurovision jury in the contest held in Basel, Switzerland.
Although El País did not mention the war in the interview, JJ’s comments coincided with the Appeal of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez On Monday (19) for the exclusion of Israel from cultural events such as Eurovision due to conflict in Gaza.
JJ also said the voting system should be revised to improve transparency.
He was the third Austrian winner of the contest, which became the world’s largest musical competition, assisted by over 160 million people across the planet.
Israel’s participant, Raphael, was at the new music festival near the Gaza border during the Hamas attack.
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This content was originally published in Eurovision winner asks Israel’s exclusion from the contest: “disappointing” on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.
