Logos sámegillii.
The case in summary
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- Gåte, who is one of the favorites to win this year’s Melodi Grand Prix (MGP), expresses concern about Israel’s participation in the competition due to the situation in Gaza.
- Gåte vocalist, Gunnhild Sundli, believes that a boycott of Israel from Eurovision can be a non-violent way to speak out.
- The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has stated that it is out of the question to ban Israel from this year’s competition.
- Almost 300 Norwegian artists have signed a petition against Israel being allowed to participate in this year’s Eurovision final.
- NRK’s entertainment editor, Charlo Halvorsen, understands that some artists find the situation difficult.
- Broadcasting manager Vibeke Fürst Haugen believes that a boycott of Israel will weaken NRK’s credibility as a news broadcaster.
The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by NRK’s journalists before publication.
– The extreme and unbearable situation in Gaza must end as soon as possible, says Gunnhild Sundli.
She is a vocalist in Gåte, which is one of the favorites to win this year’s Melodi Grand Prix.
– We agree within the band that we find it very problematic if Israel is to participate as the situation is now.
– Will require time and discussions
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has previously announced that it is out of the question to ban Israel from this year’s competition.
– It is a competition for broadcasters, not governments, and the Israeli broadcaster has participated for 50 years, says (EBU) in a statement.
– How will Gåte react if you win the MGP final?
– Should we win on Saturday, this is something we have to decide on. But it will take time and discussions to find out what is best, says the vocalist.
Almost 300 Norwegian artists have signed a petition against Israel being allowed to participate in this year’s Eurovision final.
Keiino is the bookmakers’ second favorite to win the Melodi Grand Prix.
– We all agree that what is happening in Gaza is terrible. As the situation is now, I think it will be difficult for Israel to participate in the ESC in May.
That’s what one of the members of Keiino, Fred Buljo, says.
Iceland is considering a boycott
Icelandic broadcaster RÚV has stated that Eurovision participation is something to be decided together with the winner. This will happen after the final in the Icelandic MGP.
– Our starting point is to participate in ESC with the winner in Trondheim. We don’t have a plan b beyond that.
That’s what entertainment editor at NRK, Charlo Halvorsen, says.
Cato Halvorsen is entertainment editor at NRK.
Photo: Ole Kaland / NRK
– NRK as a national public broadcaster cannot initiate a cultural boycott of a country. It is the government and the Storting that must decide, adds Halvorsen.
At the same time, he believes Gåte has a sensible approach to the matter.
– It is completely understandable that some artists experience this as a difficult situation. Fortunately, there are many ways to express one’s opinion about a conflict beyond not participating.
Israel’s participation in this year’s Eurovision has also been a topic of the Broadcasting Council. During the meeting, broadcasting manager Vibeke Fürst Haugen said that advocating a boycott of Israel would weaken NRK’s credibility as a news broadcaster.
War against the war
– We are a band with a belief in music as something unifying. War has never led to peace, says Sundli in Gåte.
She believes that boycotting Israel from Eurovision can be a non-violent way of speaking out.
– We must believe in peace, and we must believe in dialogue and understanding for each other as people and nations. And the most important war, it is the war against war itself.
She believes that you will get more answers on how to react, when you see how more countries are responding to the question.
– We have to see what other countries are going to do. I expect there will be a need for discussions with people who stand above us. It is not an easy choice to make.
– Norway cannot boycott alone
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) also follows what is happening in Israel and Gaza.
The human suffering there makes an impression on him.
However, Støre says that Norway cannot start a possible boycott of Israel alone.
– The consequence of one country alone carrying out a boycott is that you get a lot of attention that day. The next day you are completely out. Then there is nothing to follow up, nothing to talk about or nothing to contribute, says Støre.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
Photo: Dan Robert Larsen / NRK
Norway is working on many fronts to contribute to solving the humanitarian crisis and conflict in the Middle East.
– In the case of a boycott, we would have had to cut it out because then we would not have had access to the parties. The Palestinians do not want us to withdraw either. That is why I am against boycotts, emphasizes Støre.