More than 1,000 Swedish singers and musicians have asked the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to exclude Israel from this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, DPA reported on Monday. Agerpres.

On Monday, Aftonbladet newspaper published an open letter signed by musicians including Robin, Fever Ray and indie folk duo First Aid Kit.

Sweden hosts this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in May, and musicians have criticized the EBU’s decision to allow Israel to take part despite the “brutal war in Gaza”, according to an open letter.

Eurovision organizers previously rejected requests to exclude Israel, citing the non-political nature of the music event.

But the signatories of the letter accused the organizers of double standards. In the letter, she notes that musicians from Russia are prohibited from participating in Eurovision due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Belarus was denied participation in 2021 due to violations of press freedom.

The 68th Eurovision Song Contest will start on May 11 in Malmö, after the Swedish singer Lorin won the previous contest with the song “Tattoo”.

Although not geographically located in Europe, Israel has long participated in the Eurovision Song Contest as well as in European soccer competitions because it feels closer to European nations than to its Arab neighbors, DPA noted.

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