Zarah Sultana

BBC backs decision to allow Israel’s participation in 2026 Eurovision amid controversy

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

A view of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Headquarters in London, United Kingdom on November 24, 2025. [Zeynep Demir – Anadolu Agency]

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has backed the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) decision allowing Israel to participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, even as four European broadcasters announced they will boycott the event, Anadolu reports.

National broadcasters of Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia announced that they will not take part in the 2026 competition after the EBU cleared the way for Israeli broadcaster KAN to participate.

The BBC however said it backs the decision to allow Israel to take part in the contest.

“We support the collective decision made by members of the EBU. This is about enforcing the rules of the EBU and being inclusive,” said a BBC spokesperson.

The decision drew criticism from some British lawmakers. Independent lawmaker Adnan Hussain, quoted the BBC’s statement on Israel’s participation in the song contest and said: “Boycott Eurovision for platforming genocide.”

Zarah Sultana, another British lawmaker said “we cannot have ‘business as usual’ with Israel, a genocidal apartheid state.”

READ: Despite opposition, Israel cleared to take part in 2026 Eurovision

“The UK must follow Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia’s lead and boycott Eurovision,” she wrote.

During the EBU General Assembly in Geneva, a majority of members voted to allow the Israeli broadcaster to compete in next year’s contest, scheduled to be held in Vienna, Austria.

Following the vote, Spanish broadcaster RTVE announced that it would not participate in Eurovision 2026, nor broadcast the contest, accusing Israel of using the competition for “political purposes” and alleging political interference.

Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS similarly confirmed its withdrawal, stating that Israel’s participation, coupled with the humanitarian situation in Gaza and restrictions on press freedom, conflicted with the organization’s core values, according to a statement.

Ireland’s RTE also declared it would not participate or broadcast the contest, citing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and targeted attacks on journalists as incompatible with the broadcaster’s principles.

RTV Slovenia will also not participate in the contest, according to Chairwoman Natalija Gorscak. “Our message is: we will not participate in the ESC if Israel is there — on behalf of the 20,000 children who died in Gaza,” she said.

READ: Eurovision winner wants Israel excluded from 2026 contest over Gaza war

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

Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
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.
UK Foreign Minister David Lammy confirms that UK government and military are active participants in Israel’s genocides and that the F-35 parts that they suspended from supplying to Israel are instead simply diverted via the United States. He says see https://youtu.be/QILgUHrdWRE
UK Foreign Minister David Lammy confirms that UK government and military are active participants in Israel’s genocides and that the F-35 parts that they suspended from supplying to Israel are instead simply diverted via the United States. He says see https://youtu.be/QILgUHrdWRE

Continue ReadingBBC backs decision to allow Israel’s participation in 2026 Eurovision amid controversy

Your Party to back independent candidates

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/your-party-back-independent-candidates

Jeremy Corbyn (left), Ayoub Khan (centre) and Zarah Sultana on stage as the end of the Your Party founding two day conference at the Liverpool Arena, November 30, 2025

YOUR PARTY will back independent community-based socialists in next year’s local elections in England, the new party’s members have agreed.

In a vote taken at the party’s founding conference at the weekend, and by members online, it decided to support “independent socialist candidates of good standing where there is evidence of candidates being engaged in community campaigning and having the support of their local communities or trade unions branches.”

The vote was by 81.5 per cent to 18.5 on a turnout of over 10,000 of Your Party’s 55,000 members. The party will also stand its own candidates.

Members also endorsed an electoral strategy of targeting seats where the party has a reasonable chance of winning, rather than seeking to stand everywhere.

…

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/your-party-back-independent-candidates

Continue ReadingYour Party to back independent candidates

Troubles at Your Party’s Founding Conference

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Stories of conflict continue at Your Party’s Founding conference. Zarah Sultana has apparently boycotted the first day over exclusions. This appears quite bizarre but take a look at this video – it appears that exclusions are made on spurious grounds. The party doesn’t – or perhaps hardly – exists, who is making these exclusions?

Statement of interests: I signed up to receive emails and made a donation to Your Party when it was announced. I’ve not been getting emails now I mention it … I am not a member but of course interested in the founding of a new Socialist party and also want to report on it here.

Continue ReadingTroubles at Your Party’s Founding Conference

‘We are socialist, anti-imperialist, anti-Nato’: Zarah Sultana is up for the fight

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/we-are-socialist-anti-imperialist-anti-nato-zarah-sultana-fight

 Zarah Sultana, MP for Coventry South, addresses protesters during a Stop Trump Coalition protest in Parliament Square, London, on day one of the US President’s second state visit to the UK, September 17, 2025

Morning Star political reporter Andrew Murray speaks to ZARAH SULTANA on the mass party of the left holding its inaugural conference this weekend

ZARAH SULTANA is up for the fight. After a bruising few months which would have broken many a political veteran, the young Muslim socialist is still brimming with hope for the new party she has co-founded.

As Your Party heads for its debut conference in Liverpool, she believes that the left is on the brink of something historic, trials and tribulations notwithstanding.

Sultana’s theme, speaking to the Morning Star two days ago, is empowerment — of the members in the new party, and of the working-class communities they seek to serve in society.

Her measure of a successful conference is one where “members feel that it is being shaped by them, not MPs.”

It will also be about “putting a structure in place where they can organise in their communities and win seats in May’s elections.” The basic pitch remains clear: “The government serves the interests of the Elon Musks of this world. It is the working class bearing the burden, as it has for 15 years.

“People want a challenge to the status quo, they need a party that will be fighting for workers’ rights, on climate change, on challenging those who have enabled a genocide, on fighting for civil liberties.”

…

“I see no evidence that the government has changed its course. They are still passing PFI deals, still attacking disabled people, changing the rules to make it harder for asylum-seekers. The government is still on a trajectory of attacking the most vulnerable while rolling out a red carpet for Nigel Farage.”

Sultana wants delegates to leave Liverpool with a spring in their step, “feeling empowered, believing that conference was a healthy democratic event, that they have made new connections with people in their communities and regions, and part of a party that is going to win in May and beyond.”

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/we-are-socialist-anti-imperialist-anti-nato-zarah-sultana-fight

Orcas discuss the formation of UK's new Socialist party and ask if the killer apes have finally come to their senses.
Orcas discuss the formation of UK’s new Socialist party and ask if the killer apes have finally come to their senses.
Continue Reading‘We are socialist, anti-imperialist, anti-Nato’: Zarah Sultana is up for the fight