Thousands protest at Eurovision final as five countries boycott over Israel

Thousands protest at Eurovision final as five countries boycott over IsraelSpain, Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia all withdrew in protest against Israel’s participation in the midst of its war on Gaza.As the Eurovision Song Contest took to the stage for the Saturday night final in Vienna, thousands protested outside against Israel’s inclusion, and five countries boycotted the event over the genocidal war on Gaza.Protesters marched through the Austrian capital to highlight what critics described as a double standard. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) organisers refused to exclude Israel, despite banning Russia following its invasion of Ukraine four years ago.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Eurovision braces for new protests over Israel’s participationlist 2 of 3Where did Eurovision go wrong?list 3 of 3Spain PM defends Eurovision boycott over Israelend of listEurovision, which attracted 166 million viewers last year, is seeing the largest boycott in its 70-year history.Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia all withdrew because of Israel’s inclusion, with some of their national broadcasters refusing to air the show.Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has emerged as one of Israel’s strongest critics in Europe, said on Friday that the decision puts Spain on “the right side of history”.Last month, more than 1,000 artists called on fans to boycott Eurovision in an open letter against Israel’s participation. Among the artists were outspoken critics of Israel, Macklemore and Paloma Faith. Macklemore has released songs protesting against Israel’s war in Gaza.Double standardsOn Monday, Amnesty International Secretary-General Agnes Callamard denounced the EBU for allowing Israel to participate.“The failure of the European Broadcasting Union to suspend Israel from Eurovision, as it did with Russia, is an act of cowardice and an illustration of blatant double standards when it comes to Israel,” she said.