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To Director General of EBU

Noel Curran

Dear Noel, 

I just heard the news that you have made a statement against the harassment of participants how do not refuse to participate as a consequence of your decision to allow Israel to participate in Eurovision 2024. I think what is unacceptable in this situation is your previous decision in this matter, not that people are upset about it. 

I understand that Eurovision is a competition between composers and artists from different countries, and that it is a bad thing to politicise the event. The same thing applies to competition in sports, for example. But there are limits to this principle. The reason is that these artists and composers also represent countries. Previously, Russia has been excluded, both in several sports events and in Eurovision, for the invasion of Ukraine, for having exceeded the limits of what can be tolerated for inclusion in the family of nations who participate. An exception, but with good reasons. 

The question then arises if the war crimes repeatedly committed by Israel against the people in Gaza are more tolerable in relation to the same principles that excluded Russia – or not. Allowing Israel to participate should logically mean that you think these war crimes are more tolerable. Are they? 

I don’t need to repeat what most of us know about the behaviour of the Israeli military, as ordered by the Israeli government. It is simply disgusting and against all principles of humanity. This is not a defence against Hamas. it is mass murder, completely insensitive to the death of more than 13000 innocent children, targeting of journalists so that they cannot report the atrocities and scaring others from taking their place, targeting of help workers so they cannot help innocent Palestinians to survive and also scaring such organisation out of Gaza, blocking necessary transportation of food and medicine at the borders, intentionally causing mass starvation in as a weapon in the war. And in addition spreading unsupported rumours about Hamas plans to attack European countries in an attempt to win support for the war and diminish the condemnation of war crimes..

By this incomprehensible decision you have not only smeared dirt on Eurovision and made a lot of people loose interest in watching it this year, including myself – who was always a Eurovision fan. You have also jeopardised the security of those who participate and the big audience in Malmö. Even if my protests only goes as far as writing letters like this one to you, and refusing to watch, we all know that when people get sufficiently angry and upset, they sometimes do stupid things. If this will happen, I, and many others, will hold you accountable for not having understood the consequences of your decision, although you should have the capacity to do so. 

With this I urge you to ASAP reconsider your decision to allow Israel to participate in Eurovision 2024. It is always better to change a bad route, than to continue just because you once decided to take that route.

Yours Sincerely

Krister Håkansson