Dublin (QNN)- Ireland's three-time Eurovision song contest winner Johnny Logan has praised his country's public broadcaster for withdrawing from next year's competition in response to Israel’s participation over the genocide in Gaza.
Speaking with Ireland's RTÉ on Sunday, Logan said he doesn't think "Israel should be allowed to hide under the umbrella of the Eurovision," adding that he was "proud" of the broadcaster making the "right decision."
The 71-year-old musician, who was born in Australia but grew up in Ireland, won the 1980 Eurovision with his song "What's Another Year." Seven years later, he became the first person to win the competition twice, with his entry "Hold Me Now," which he wrote. He also wrote Ireland's first-place song for the 1992 contest, "Why Me?".
Last Thursday, The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) gave Israel the green light to compete.
In response, four countries, Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands, announced they will boycott the contest, after having called for Israel's exclusion over the genocide in Gaza and accusations Israel has employed unfair voting practices.
Logan said of his position that "I'm not antisemitic and I'm not pro-Hamas at all. I believe two things can be wrong at the same time." He added that he believes most Irish people agree with him: "When you have someone like Donald Trump describe Gaza as real estate ... it's appalling."
Israel's participation in next year's song competition, Logan said, is "almost like a tacit … we turn a blind eye ... sort of 'yes, everything is normal,' you know, we can forgive everything ... I think there has to be a point where a voice is heard. It's not okay."
Logan compared Israel's situation to that of Russia, which the EBU banned from the contest in 2022 when it invaded Ukraine. A similar decision should've been made in Israel's case, he said.
"They say that the Eurovision is nonpolitical, but the reality of it is that when it is necessary, it becomes political," Logan said. "The EBU should've made a decision regarding Israel, a decision removing them from the show, and taken that decision away from individual countries."
"Certainly at the moment, [Israel] should be removed."
Recent editions of Eurovision have been overshadowed by opposition to Israel’s participation in the contest over its ongoing genocide in Gaza which has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians since October 2023.
If the EBU fails to act, it risks a major split within Europe’s most-watched cultural event. For many broadcasters, the contest is no longer just about music, but about taking a stand on Gaza.
