Israel's participation in next year's Eurovision Song Contest has caused a rift in the Eurovision family. At least four countries have already pulled out of the next edition. Belgium’s RTBF, the Francophone broadcaster whose turn it is to dispatch an entry to Vienna, has already confirmed it will be taking part.
SOS Gaza calls on Belgian broadcasters to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest
Colin Clapson
Published:
SOS Gaza, an organisation that represents the voice of citizens who oppose human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories, is calling on the Francophone broadcaster RTBF and its Flemish counterpart VRT to boycott next year's Song Contest.
The organisation is asking RTBF not to allow Belgium to participate and is specifically asking VRT not to broadcast the event, which is spread over three evenings. ‘Our public broadcasters should not be part of a show that ignores the suffering of a population.’
On Friday, RTBF decided that it would send a Belgian candidate to the song contest next year. This decision has sparked heated debate in French-speaking political circles.
The open letter from SOS Gaza has already been signed by more than 1,400 people, including several well-known names from the cultural sector, such as actors Katrien De Ruysscher, Clara Cleymans, Geert Van Rampelberg and musician Piet Goddaer (Ozark Henry).