Irish artists urge Bambie Thug to boycott Eurovision over ‘Israel’

Over 400 Irish artists, including Siobhan McSweeney and musicians like Emma Langford and Erica-Cody, have penned a letter to Bambie Thug, urging her to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest due to “Israel’s” participation

Erica-Cody was also a participant alongside Bambie Thug in the Eurosong competition on The Late Late Show in January to select Ireland’s Eurovision representative.

Prior to the Eurosong show, both Erica-Cody and Bambie Thug expressed their belief that “Israel” should not participate in this year’s competition due to the entity’s actions in Gaza.

If she had won the bid to represent Ireland, Erica-Cody would not have dismissed the possibility of boycotting Eurovision.

In response to the appeals for a Eurovision boycott, Bambie Thug stated in an Instagram post last week that her allegiance and support have consistently been with the oppressed.

The group of artists highlighted that statement in the letter published on the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign website today, asserting that “by participating in Eurovision, you would be aligning with the oppressor.”

“We are writing to you as Irish artists, writers, and poets, many of us queer and trans. Firstly, we congratulate you on being selected to represent Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. This is an honor and recognition of your talent and artistry,” the letter read.

“However, we are asking you to withdraw from Eurovision 2024, to heed the call from Palestinians to boycott the competition due to the participation of Israel. We welcome that you have chosen, along with other participating artists, not to be silent,” it added.

The letter commended the Irish artists who opted to boycott the SXSW Music Festival in Texas the previous month, including Belfast’s Kneecap, Galway’s NewDad, and singer-songwriters Gavin James and Mick Flannery.
 
“We applaud their rejection of the Festival’s complicity with the US and Israeli war machines. This moment demands such principled solidarity,” it said.

“You have the chance to be on the right side of history and to be remembered as an artist of conscience, who, in a time of genocide, chose to do no harm, to truly stand with the oppressed. History will celebrate you if you withdraw from Eurovision 2024. We urge you to do the right thing,” it added.

An online petition urging RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst to retract Ireland’s involvement in this year’s Eurovision “in protest against the EBU’s failure to exclude Israel” has garnered over 16,500 signatures.

‘Israel’ threatens to withdraw from Eurovision if entry lyrics vetoed

Back in February, “Israel” threatened to withdraw from this year’s Eurovision Song Contest if the lyrics to its entry song were deemed “too political”.

Israeli singer Eden Golan and her song “October Rain” have been chosen to compete in the annual competition, which will take place in Malmo, Sweden, in May. 

At the time, reports stated that the song, which is largely in English with some Hebrew phrases, references the unfolding events of the Palestinian Resistance’s operation on October 7. 

Following its refusal, deemed too political and therefore contravening political neutrality rules, “Israel” agreed to compromise in order to take part in the contest.

The Israeli broadcaster KAN initially said that “Israel” would withdraw from this year’s competition if the event’s organizers attempted to censor their entry, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said that “Israel’s” voice must be heard from the Eurovision stage.

He has since stated that “necessary adjustments” should be made to “October Rain” so that it is allowed onto the show.

Eurovision rejected in January demands to disqualify “Israel” from the competition, despite the death toll of its genocidal war exceeding 34,000 Palestinians at the time, the majority being women and children.

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