Nemo, who won the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest with the performance of the song The Code, announced on Thursday that he will return the trophy in the latest protest against Israel’s continued participation amid the war in Gaza.
Nemo, whose winning song blended drum and bass, opera, rap, and rock, said that allowing Israel to compete contradicts the competition’s core values of inclusion and dignity for all.
His comments mark the latest objection directed at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the organization behind Eurovision, which has faced withdrawals from five countries after permitting Israel last week to take part in the 2026 event in Austria.
In an Instagram post, Nemo wrote: “Eurovision claims to symbolize unity, inclusion, and dignity for all people. These are the values that make this contest meaningful to me.”
He continued: “But Israel’s continued participation, at the same time that the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry (investigating the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel) has concluded that this constitutes genocide, shows a clear contradiction between these ideals and the decisions made by the EBU.”
Israel rejects allegations of genocide, stating that it respects international law and has the right to defend itself following the Hamas-led cross-border attack from Gaza on October 7, 2023, which was followed by the war.
Iceland’s national broadcaster RÚV announced on Wednesday that the country will not participate in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, joining Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia, which all withdrew in response to Israel’s actions during the war in Gaza.
Nemo said it was clear that something serious had driven these countries to withdraw, adding that he would send the Eurovision trophy to the EBU headquarters in Geneva. “This is not about individuals or artists,” he said.
“It is about the fact that the contest has repeatedly been used to polish the image of a state accused of serious violations, while the EBU insists that Eurovision is non-political.”
The singer added that he had a clear message for the EBU, which organizes an event watched by nearly 160 million viewers: “Be what you claim to be.
If the values we celebrate on stage are not upheld offstage, even the most beautiful songs become meaningless.” He concluded, “I long for the moment when words and actions finally align. Until then, this trophy is yours.”
Follow the latest news on Google News
