Eurovision winner Nemo returns trophy in protest over Israel’s inclusion

Singer’s connection follows walkout by 5 countries aft organisers cleared Israel to enactment successful adjacent year’s contest.

Swiss Eurovision victor Nemo said they volition instrumentality their 2024 triumph trophy due to the fact that Israel is being allowed to vie successful the popular euphony competition.

The singer, who won the 2024 variation with operatic popular track, The Code, posted a video connected Instagram showing them placing the trophy successful a container to beryllium sent backmost to the Geneva office of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

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“Eurovision says it stands for unity, for inclusion and dignity for each people,” Nemo said, adding that Israel’s information amid its ongoing genocidal warfare connected Gaza showed those ideals were astatine likelihood with organisers’ decisions.

The EBU, which organises Eurovision, cleared Israel last week to instrumentality portion successful adjacent year’s lawsuit successful Austria, prompting Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia and Iceland to denote they would beryllium boycotting the contest.

“When full countries withdraw, it should beryllium wide that thing is profoundly wrong,” Nemo said connected Thursday.

On Friday, contention manager Martin Green said successful a connection sent to The Associated Press that organisers were “saddened that Nemo wishes to instrumentality their trophy which they deservedly won successful 2024”.

“We respect the profoundly held views Nemo has expressed and they volition ever stay a valued portion of the Eurovision Song Contest family,” helium added.

Next year’s Eurovision is scheduled to instrumentality spot successful Austria’s capital, Vienna, aft Austrian vocalist JJ won the 2025 contention successful Basel, Switzerland. Traditionally, the winning state hosts the pursuing year.

“This is not astir individuals oregon artists. It’s astir the information that the contention was repeatedly utilized to soften the representation of a authorities accused of terrible wrongdoing, each portion the EBU insists that this contention is non-political,” said Nemo.

“Live what you claim. If the values we observe connected signifier aren’t lived disconnected stage, past adjacent the astir beauteous songs go meaningless,” they added.

Israel’s genocidal warfare connected Gaza has killed astatine slightest 70,369 Palestinians, according to the territory’s wellness authorities.

The country’s subject has continued to onslaught the enclave contempt a ceasefire with Palestinian radical Hamas reached backmost successful October.