The Eurovision 2024 champion returned the trophy in protest against Israel.

(CLO) On December 11th, Nemo, the Swiss-born artist and winner of Eurovision 2024, announced that he would return the trophy in protest against Israel's continued participation in the competition.

This action is a strong protest against the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) continuing to allow Israel to participate in the competition, amidst the conflict in Gaza. The trophy will be sent to EBU headquarters in Geneva.

In a statement posted on Instagram, Nemo explained his reasoning: "Eurovision says it represents solidarity, inclusion and dignity for all people... But Israel's continued participation, in a context where the United Nations' Independent Commission of Inquiry... has concluded it was genocide, shows a clear contradiction."

Artist Nemo and an image of the Eurovision trophy.

Nemo emphasized that the competition's values ​​must transcend the stage: "If the values ​​we celebrate on stage aren't lived out in real life, then even the best songs become meaningless ."

The artist also refuted the EBU's " apolitical " stance, arguing that the competition "has been repeatedly used to soften the image of a country accused of serious wrongdoing ."

Nemo's decision is not an isolated one, but part of a growing wave of protests. To date, five countries have officially announced a boycott of Eurovision 2026, including Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and most recently, Iceland. The stated reason is protest against "the horrific loss of life and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza."

Faced with this pressure, the EBU took action in early December, committing to implementing "additional safeguards" to prevent interference from countries or third parties in the competition results. This decision came after allegations that Israel interfered to help Israeli contestant Yuval Raphael win Eurovision 2025.

Source: https://congluan.vn/nha-vo-dich-eurovision-2024-tra-lai-cup-nham-phan-doi-israel-10322308.html