Nemo, the artist who won the Eurovision Song Contest last year, will return the trophy in protest against Israel’s participation in the event.
“Eurovision says it stands for unity, inclusion and dignity for all. These values gave meaning to the contest for me. But Israel’s continued participation during what a UN Independent Commission of Inquiry concluded to be a genocide, shows a clear conflict between these ideals and the decisions taken by the EBU,” he says in a post on Instagram, referring to the European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the festival.
Nemo argues that the event “has been used repeatedly to soften the image of a state accused of serious irregularities, while the EBU insists that Eurovision is ‘apolitical'”. For the Swiss singer, “it becomes clear that something is deeply wrong” when several countries decide to withdraw from the competition “due to this contradiction”. “That’s why I decided to return my trophy to the EBU headquarters in Geneva”, he announces, highlighting that his message with this attitude is clear: “Live what you proclaim”.
“I no longer feel like the trophy belongs on my shelf”, he sums up.
According to Nemo “if the values we celebrate on stage are not lived off it, then even the most beautiful songs lose meaning”. The artist says he is waiting for that moment when words and actions align. “Until then, this trophy is yours”, he concludes.
Last week, the EBU decided that Israel will be able to participate in the Eurovision Festival, which led to the decision of several countries not to participate in the event, including the Netherlands, Slovenia, Ireland, Spain and Iceland. Portugal will participate, as RTP later announced, which prompted criticism from Salvador Sobral, the only Portuguese to win the initiative.
The musician considered the public television’s decision “a political cowardice” and a contradiction, taking into account that RTP broadcast the concert Juntos por Gaza, which took place at the CCB.