Eurovision: Angus Robertson urges UK and BBC to boycott Eurovision Song Contest over Israel participation
The event is due to be held in Austria next year.
Angus Robertson has urged the UK to boycott next year's Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is allowed to participate.
The Scottish Government Culture Secretary has also called for the BBC to drop its plans to screen the event, which takes place in Vienna next May and will be watched by millions of viewers.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mr Robertson said: “The BBC should join the growing number of broadcasters to boycott Eurovision if Israel is involved.
“The UK should not take part in Eurovision Song Contest as genocide continues in Gaza.”
On Friday, a public broadcaster in the Netherlands joined Irish channel RTE in a proposed boycott of Eurovision.
RTE and Dutch public broadcaster Avrotros announced they will not take part in next year’s contest if Israel is among the participants.
The Irish station said multiple members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which runs the contest, have raised concerns about the participation of Israel.
A spokesperson for Eurovision said it was up to each state to decide if it wanted to take part.
On Friday, musician and songwriter Phil Coulter said he was “100% behind” RTE’s decision.
Coulter, who co-wrote the UK’s winning 1967 entry, Puppet On A String by Sandie Shaw, said there was a “double standard” because Russia and Belarus had previously been expelled from the contest.
Speaking on the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster radio programme, he said: “We can’t normalise what’s going on in Gaza.
“It’s not a question of disapproval, it’s a question of absolute disgust.”
Coulter said he recognised that a song contest was “not going to change the world” but added: “We musicians, songwriters, performers, are human beings with consciences and with our conscience still very alert.
“I think the only sensible thing and the only decent thing for RTE to do is to withdraw from the contest if Israel is allowed to perform.”
Asked if the BBC should take a similar stand, he added: “I do. I think it's a question of conscience.
“I’m quite sure that throughout the United Kingdom, people are equally disgusted by what’s going on in Gaza.”
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