IRELAND – The passing of a controversial bill in the Israeli Knesset which defines Israel exclusively as a nation of Jewish people has prompted Sinn Féin Dublin MEP Lynn Boylan to call for a 2019 Eurovision Boycott. Speaking on 19/7 the Sinn Féin Dublin MEP sad the bill, also referred to as ‘the Jewish Nation State Bill’, will marginalise 1.8m Palestinians.
“It promotes the construction of Jewish-only settlements. It revokes the status of Arabic and makes Hebrew the country’s official language. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government can now expand the state’s takeover of Palestinian lands in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. There was no mention of equality or minority rights in any part of the bill. As members of the European Broadcasting Union that organises the Eurovision song contest, RTÉ need to take a firm stand against this sectarian bill and commit to boycotting the Eurovision in 2019.”
