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JJ: “It’s very disappointing to see Israel still participating”

During the Eurovision contest, all participants were required to sign a code of conduct that barred them from making negative remarks about other competing countries, aiming to preserve the contest’s spirit of unity. Austrian opera singer JJ’s recent remarks echo those of Switzerland’s 2024 winner, Nemo. Both artists have previously voiced support for excluding Israel from Eurovision due to the country’s military actions in Gaza, where over 53,000 people have reportedly been killed since October 2023.

In the lead-up to the 2025 contest, dozens of former Eurovision participants signed an open letter urging the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to disqualify Israel from the competition. The list of signatories eventually grew to 78, including later additions like Spain’s Blanca Paloma and Australia’s Montaigne. The artists argue that “by continuing to platform the representation of the Israeli state, the EBU is normalising and whitewashing its crimes.”

Several international human rights groups have accused Israel of war crimes and acts of genocide in the conflict, which escalated after a deadly attack by Hamas in southern Israel.

Update: JJ shares more thoughts on the issue in an interview with Spanish outlet ABC, available below.