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Tag: Iceland

  • Will Eurovision uphold Israel’s colonial genocide?

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    This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 


    This photograph shows the logo of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 displayed on a screen at the end of the dress rehearsal for the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 at the St. Jakobshalle arena in Basel on May 14, 2025. [Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images]

    by Ramona Wadi

    Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Iceland have declared their intention to not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is allowed to take part. In response, Eurovision’s director Martin Green issued a weak statement that can only be classified as impunity for Israel. “We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East,” Green stated. “It is up to each member to decide to take part in the contest, and we would respect any decision broadcasters make.”

    The statement completely misses the point. Five countries have declared they will not participate in the contest if Israel takes part, because Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. This not an opinion, but a stance. To distance Eurovision from the intentions declared by these five participating countries is not a sign of respect, but a decision to exclude a principled stance in order to accommodate a genocidal colonial entity’s inclusion. In the name of neutrality, which only serves impunity for genocide in this case, Israel is being allowed unquestioned access to the competition while those calling for accountability are being excluded on account of taking a principled stance.

    In 2022, the European Broadcasting Union banned Russia in a bid to support Ukraine. Yet despite almost two years of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, the EBU has not sought to ban Israel from participating in the context. The EBU is mirroring the general political stance that has prevailed not only since 7 October, but since the 1947 Partition Plan – Zionism can get away with anything because it derives its support from European colonial ideology and the institutions and initiatives promoting the colonial interpretation of neutrality. 

    READ: Spain to officially boycott Eurovision if Israel remains in contest amid Gaza war

    According to Green, the EBU is consulting “to gather views on how we manage participation and geopolitical tensions” in relation to Eurovision.

    But consulting is merely a euphemism for stalling on accountability and strengthening Israel’s impunity. By mid-December this year, all countries need to confirm or decline participation in the next Eurovision Song Contest. There is still time for countries to take a principled stance against Israel’s genocide in Gaza and change the levels of impunity in the name of neutrality from within.

    Participating countries can make or break Eurovision. While the politics directly supporting Israel’s genocide in Gaza are what needs to be altered, because diplomatic, economic and military support for Israel are enabling the annihilation of Palestinians in Gaza, Eurovision sets the scene for a heavily publicised stance against genocide, and one that cannot be easily ignored. 

    The EBU may dictate the rules, but as Green stated, it is up to each member to decide to participate. This can be an opportunity to highlight autonomy over neutrality, and more importantly, to illustrate the presence of politics in every event. There is no neutrality in the EBU allowing Israel to participate, and there is no neutrality in countries deciding not to participate based on Israel’s participation in Eurovision. However, this also creates a level playing field if neutrality is acknowledged to be non-existent. Without the illusion, the truth is revealed – that of institutions creating space for colonialism and genocide and the opportunity to rise against complicity in the annihilation of Palestinians in Gaza. 

    BLOG: Genocide admissions and international silence

    The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.

    This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

    Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
    Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
    Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
    Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
    Vote Labour for Genocide.
    Vote Labour for Genocide.

  • Israeli PM Netanyahu back in the US capital, defying ICC arrest warrant

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    Original article by Peoples Dispatch republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

    Netanyahu visits Trump in the White House (Photo via @WhiteHouse/X)

    Israeli Prime Minister supports Trump’s plan for mass displacement of Palestinians and nominates US leader for Nobel Peace Prize

    Israeli Prime Minister and wanted war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu is once again visiting the United States capitol, discussing the “relocation” of the entire Palestinian population from Gaza, Trump’s push for a renewed ceasefire, and the renewal of US-Iran talks.

    The controversial visit has been met with protests from pro-Palestine and anti-imperialist organizations in Washington DC.

    Earlier this year, Trump floated a controversial plan to colonize the region – emptying Gaza of Palestinians and developing its coastline into what he called a “Riviera of the Middle East.” Although this proposal was denounced by everyone from human rights organizations to most countries in the West Asia region, Netanyahu appears to have issued renewed support for the idea of the mass displacement of Palestinians.

    “It’s called free choice,” the Israeli Prime Minister told reporters on Monday. “If people want to stay, they can stay. But if they want to leave, they should be able to leave.”

    The same day, during a dinner at the White House, Netanyahu handed Trump a letter nominating him for a Nobel Peace Prize, citing Trump’s role in the Abraham Accords.

    Palestinian diaspora and solidarity organizations have denounced Netanyahu’s visit. Activists with the Palestinian Youth Movement and the ANSWER Coalition, took to the streets of the US capital on July 7, chanting “Bibi out of DC now!”

    The United States is one of the few countries that Netanyahu has visited since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him over his responsibility for war crimes in Gaza. The US is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the ICC, and the Biden administration stated that it fundamentally rejected the arrest warrant when it was issued. However, the socialist candidate for mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, a likely winner of the mayoralty in November, has stated that he would indeed arrest Netanyahu if the Israeli leader steps foot in the city.

    Netanyahu has taken detours to avoid arrest in other countries that are parties to the Rome Statute, including Ireland, Iceland, and the Netherlands. 

    “Wanted war criminal, Benjamin Netanyahu, is in Washington DC, yet again continuing to be received by the highest offices in the US while carrying out a mass slaughter campaign against the entire population of Gaza,” a member of the Palestinian Youth Movement told Peoples Dispatch. “We condemn Netanyahu’s presence here which will only siphon resources from the American people in service of the genocide on Gaza. The Trump administration could end the slaughter today, but they choose to continue fueling this holocaust against Palestinians despite the wishes of the American people.”

    Original article by Peoples Dispatch republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

    Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone obect to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities,mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
    Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone obect to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities,mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
    Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
    Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
    UK Labour Party government Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are participants and complicit in Israel's Gaza genocide providing Israel with army and air force support. They explain that they don't do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.
    UK Labour Party government Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are participants and complicit in Israel’s Gaza genocide providing Israel with army and air force support. They explain that they don’t do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.