Eurovision: The song contest that broke the continent

Eurovision: The song contest that broke the continent Submitted by (not verified) on Wed, 05/13/2026 - 21:05 Organisers have yet to provide a credible answer as to why Israel is still included, while Russia remains banned Activists hold a banner to protest against the participation of Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest, in Vienna, Austria, on 12 May 2026 (Radek Mica/AFP) On I have watched Eurovision every year for nearly 20 years. This year was supposed to be my 15th anniversary of hosting a party.  I genuinely, unironically loved it. I loved it for the songs and the voices, but I also deeply subscribed to its founding values: the idea that a continent still scarred by two world wars could come together through a shared appreciation for music. This year, instead of hosting my party, I have been unable to ignore the story that now dominates the contest. Eurovision was born in 1956 from a specific wound: Europe had just finished destroying itself. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) created the contest as an act of almost naive faith: the belief that culture could do what politics had failed to do, by building something that felt genuinely continental and shared.  For nearly seven decades, that faith held. It survived the Cold War, the Balkan crisis and Brexit. The contest bent, but it never broke. Until now. In 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine , the EBU moved with admirable speed. Within hours, Russia was out . There was no lengthy deliberation, no consultation process, no months of hand-wringing about the separation of music and politics. Then came Gaza . Nonsensical position Since October 2023, Israel ’s military assault on Gaza has killed tens ...

Original source: Middle East Eye