The Sanremo Festival in Italy, a precursor to Eurovision, faced controversy as a pro-Palestinian rapper's comments on genocide sparked debate amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. Despite calls to ban Israel from Eurovision over the Gaza war, the European Broadcast Union confirmed Israel's participation, emphasizing the non-political nature of the event. Celebrities have rallied against the exclusion of Israel, denouncing attempts to delegitimize the country on the global platform.
The European Broadcast Union has just announced that Israel will participate in Eurovision this year! Music should be a connecting and healing force. Especially after the attacks of October 7, Israel should be welcomed onto the world stage to express our grief and pain throughโฆ https://t.co/K6Zi133p9M
Celebrities rally for Israel's inclusion in @Eurovision, condemn calls for ban 'This call for Israel's exclusion has recieved significant backlash across creative industries... This is another sign of people trying to delegitimize Israel on the world stage,' says @JoshRomOnAir https://t.co/9i01qyhtNU
The show must go on! ๐ ๐ค ๐ฎ๐ฑ #Eurovision rejects call to ban #Israel over Gaza war, saying: "The Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political music event and a competition between public service broadcasters who are members of the EBU. It is not a contest between governments." https://t.co/010gqGjrR0
The Sanremo Festival, widely seen as the biggest annual music event in Italy, took place last week. The discourse surrounding the event was dominated by the Israel-Hamas war and a popular rapper's comments about genocide / @annamomi https://t.co/7RjMtDqbSc
Rap battle: Italian music festival rocked by genocide accusations against Israel / @annamomi https://t.co/7RjMtDpE2E
As speculation mounts that this year's Eurovision Song Contest could turn into an anti-Israel spectacle, recent events at Italy's Sanremo Festival offer a preview of what might happen at Europe's biggest televised music event / @annamomi https://t.co/7RjMtDqbSc
The Sanremo Festival is usually all about picking a local representative for the Eurovision Song Contest. This year's edition turned ugly when the Jewish community inadvertently amplified the message of a pro-Palestinian rapper / @annamomi https://t.co/7RjMtDpE2E