Ó Ríordáin says Ireland “can’t go on with Eurovision” due to Israeli involvement

Labour TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has called on RTÉ to pull out of next year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo.

Speaking to Newstalk, the Dublin Bay North TD said that by virtue of Ireland being the most successful nation in Eurovision history, Ireland choosing to withdraw “would encourage others to follow the same route,” he said.

“If the Eurovision doesn’t happen because of Israel’s participation then so be it.”

“I think in years to come when the history of this conflict is being written, we want a little asterisk beside our name as a country that was different.”

The European Broadcasting Union’s decision to allow Israel to participate in next year’s contest has drawn a mixed reaction.

The Association of Composers and Lyricists of Iceland (FTT), which represents Icelandic artists, has called on Iceland’s national broadcaster RUV to halt its participation in the show should Israel remain in the competition.

The 2019 edition of the contest, hosted in Israel following their victory the previous year, was greeted with boycotts.

On that occasion, the Icelandic entry Hatari waved a Palestinian flag in the green room, which resulted in a fine from the European Broadcasting Union.

Speaking to the Irish Times in May 2019, Eurovision producer Michael Kealy said that RTÉ was a nonpolitical organisation and “could not be seen to take sides in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

“We are not an organisation that makes political statements. People are perfectly entitled to have a view on this and to protest against it, but it is misguided. This is a song contest. We are not there to make statements or to solve the Middle Eastern conflict.”

Last week, The Journal reported that RTÉ has received 500 emails from members of the public encouraging RTÉ to withdraw Ireland from the contest.

The petition notes that Russia was banned from the competition in 2022 following their invasion of Ukraine, and the same principle should apply to Israel in light of their war against Gaza.

The email reads “it appears that Israel’s participation is part of a concerted public relations effort by the Israeli government to portray itself to the global community as a modern, liberal, forward-thinking state, despite the years of occupation and violence against Palestine.”

The petition describes Ireland as a “vital part of the heartbeat and history of the competition” and said that it is “essential that we use our voice now to condemn the actions of the Israeli government”.

Israel’s participation next year has irked Ó Ríordáin, who said “you have a situation with the Eurovision contest where Israel will be invited in to wave their flags in a joyful way on that huge platform.”

“I think we have to reconsider whether a big player in Eurovision history such as Ireland wants to be involved.”

“If we don’t want to be involved and it doesn’t sit easily with our sense of the world, we should just withdraw and tell everyone why we’re doing it.”

He compared the current pressure on Israel to the pressure placed on South Africa towards the end of the Apartheid era, and that a concentrated international effort helped bring an end to the regime there.

“I think we have more stature on the international stage than people give credit for us here,” he said.

“I think at the very least, we will have shown that all of Israel’s interactions on the international stage are now being sullied and tarnished by their involvement.

“We should make this stand and express our upset with Israel’s involvement.”