The Secretary General of Amnesty International (AI), Agnès Callamard, has strongly criticized the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for not expelling Israel from Eurovision “as it did with Russia”, and has stated that this decision represents “an act of cowardice” and “a blatant double standard.”
These statements were released today on the Amnesty International website and social media channels, just one day before the first semifinal of the contest.
“Instead of sending a clear message that Israel’s atrocious crimes against the Palestinian people have consequences, the EBU has given Israel this international stage even while it continues committing genocide in Gaza, illegal occupation, and apartheid,” Callamard said.
The Secretary General of Amnesty International has accused the EBU of betraying the values of Eurovision, “which include freedom from intolerance, hate speech, and discrimination.”
She also criticized the European organization for ignoring the protests of Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Iceland, which withdrew from the contest due to Israel’s participation. Callamard went further, stating that “ultimately, the EBU has betrayed humanity.”
Israel’s participation in Eurovision gives the country a platform to try to divert attention and normalize its genocide in Gaza
In this regard, she stated that “Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest provides the country with a platform to attempt to divert attention and normalize its ongoing genocide in the occupied Gaza Strip, as well as its moves toward further annexation of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in addition to its system of apartheid against Palestinians.”
Callamard recalls in this statement that “the decisions and opinions of international courts, as well as resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council over recent decades, have repeatedly condemned Israel for its multiple and serious violations.” Therefore, she asserts that “there should be no stage for Israel at Eurovision while an ongoing genocide continues.”
The statement adds that Amnesty International’s ongoing investigation shows that, despite the October 2025 ceasefire agreement, Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian population in Gaza continues: “Israeli forces continue to deliberately inflict living conditions calculated to bring about their physical destruction and have carried out airstrikes that have killed more than 760 Palestinians since then, with no evidence indicating that Israel’s intent has changed,” they state.
The UN Special Rapporteur for Gaza, Francesca Albanese, has echoed this statement on her X account, joining Amnesty International’s condemnation and calling for people not to watch the festival. Likewise, she has thanked the countries that have withdrawn from Eurovision — Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia — for their stance in this crisis.