Donegal Eurovision Charlie McGettigan winner wants Israel banned from 2025 event

Charlie McGettigan and Mickey Joe Harte have called for Israel and national broadcaster KAN to be banned from Eurovision.

Ballyshannon's McGettigan, who, along with Paul Harrington, won the 1994 Eurovision with Rock n'Roll Kids, is one of over 70 former contestants who penned an open letter on their stance. Harte has also put his name to the letter, with the Lifford native having represented Ireland at the 2003 contest, where he performed We've Got the World Tonight. Brian Kennedy from Belfast was the Irish entrant in 2006 and is also behind the movement.

The letter says that they were “appalled by Israel’s participation in last year’s staging of the event in Malmo, Sweden, accusing the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) of “granting total impunity to the Israeli delegation while repressing other artists and delegations, making the 2024 edition the most politicized, chaotic and unpleasant in the competition’s history.”

The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 is the upcoming 69th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, set to take place in Basel, Switzerland, from Wednesday, May 13 to Saturday 17.

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Israel approved plans to capture the entire Gaza Strip and remain in the territory for an unspecified amount of time. Israeli cabinet ministers approved the plan after it was learned the army was calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers.

The open letter, titled "Exclude Israel from Eurovision: A call from former Eurovision participants,” reads in full:

“We, the undersigned former Eurovision participants, urge all members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to demand the exclusion of KAN, the Israeli public broadcaster, from the Eurovision Song Contest. KAN is complicit in Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza and the decades-long regime of apartheid and military occupation against the entire Palestinian people.

“We believe in the unifying power of music, which is why we refuse to allow music to be used as a tool to whitewash crimes against humanity. Last year, we were appalled that the EBU allowed Israel to participate while it continued its genocide in Gaza broadcast live for the world to see. The result was disastrous.

“Rather than acknowledging the widespread criticism and reflecting on its own failures, the EBU responded by doubling down — granting total impunity to the Israeli delegation while repressing other artists and delegations, making the 2024 edition the most politicised, chaotic and unpleasant in the competition’s history.

“Silence is not an option. When authoritarian movements and the far-right are on the rise around the globe, our duty to speak out has only become more pressing. We therefore join together to state that the EBU's complicity with Israel's genocide must stop.

“By continuing to platform the representation of the Israeli state, the EBU is normalising and whitewashing its crimes. The EBU has already demonstrated that it is capable of taking measures, as in 2022, when it expelled Russia from the competition. We don’t accept this double standard regarding Israel.

“We stand in solidarity with this year’s contestants and condemn the EBU’s repeated refusal to take responsibility.

“As singers, songwriters, musicians and others who have had the privilege of participating in Eurovision, we urge the EBU and all its member broadcasters to act now and prevent further discredit and disruption to the festival: Israel must be excluded from Eurovision.”