Following JJ’s victory in the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final over the weekend, he is now urging that Israel be excluded from the competition.
The Eurovision Song Contest celebrates its 69th year in Switzerland, where it first took place in 1956. Viewers outside the UK can also watch the show by using a VPN to access.
The 24-year-old claimed the Eurovision crown on Saturday night, representing Austria with his song Wasted Love, as the music spectacle wrapped up in Basel, Switzerland.
Throughout the event, protests erupted in the streets over Israel’s participation, fueled by ongoing airstrikes in Gaza that have claimed thousands of lives and restricted humanitarian aid through blockades.
This year’s Israeli contestant, 24-year-old Yuval Raphael, performed New Day Will Rise. While he surged up the leaderboard during the jury vote and came close to winning, he ultimately secured second place.
After securing victory with 436 points, surpassing Israel’s 357, JJ voiced his agreement with Switzerland’s 2024 winner Nemo, stating that certain aspects of Eurovision need to be “fixed”—including the question of “who takes part in the festival.”
In an interview with the Spanish journal El País, he expressed his frustration, saying, ‘It is very disappointing to see that Israel is still participating in the contest.
I would like next year’s Eurovision to be held in Vienna and without Israel. But the ball is in the EBU’s court. We, the artists, can only raise our voices on the matter.
Read More: Eurovision Winner Nemo Backs Calls For Israel To Be Excluded From This Year’s Contest
JJ, whose real name is Johannes Pietsch, also commented on Eurovision organisers’ decision to ban performers from displaying Pride flags on stage. Calling it a “step backwards,” he said:
Although I was comforted to know that the audience could do it, I tried to sneak in a flag during the finals. But I got caught. I had it tucked away in a pocket of my pants, and someone from the organisation saw what I was carrying. Just before I went on stage, they told me, ‘That’s not your country’s flag; you can’t display it.’ I almost made it.
Still, the singer has no plans to stay quiet following his win, saying: “I’m going to take the opportunity and use this platform as huge as Eurovision to advocate for rights for the whole queer community and to make sure we have more equality.
There is still a huge stigma around us, and unfortunately, Europe is becoming more and more conservative, taking steps backwards. It’s very, very disappointing and something needs to be done about it.
JJ’s comments follow an incident during the live final where anti-Israel protesters were removed from the arena after trying to storm the stage during Raphael’s performance.
A spokesperson for Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR explained: “At the end of the Israeli performance, a man and a woman tried to get over a barrier onto the stage. They were stopped. One of the two agitators threw paint, and a crew member was hit. The crew member is fine, and nobody was injured. The man and the woman were taken out of the venue and handed over to the police.”
The disruption went unnoticed by viewers at home, as the BBC broadcast did not capture the moment.
A Basel police spokesman later said, “The organiser handed the two people over to the police. The police checked the two people and then released them. It is now up to the organiser to decide whether to press charges.”
Israeli representative Raphael was reportedly left “shaken and upset” after the protesters rushed toward her.
Meanwhile, hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters took over a bridge over the Rhine River, displaying flags, banners, flares, and smearing fake blood on blankets to symbolize children. Public transport officials warned Eurovision attendees to avoid the area ahead of the final.
The protests continued as Spanish broadcaster RTVE faces a hefty fine for airing a pro-Palestine message before the final, despite earlier warnings.
Before their coverage, RTVE showed a black screen with the text: “When human rights are at stake, silence is not an option.” followed by “Peace and Justice for Palestine.”
Spain, represented by Melody with ESA DIVA, aired this message despite Eurovision’s strict rules that the contest remains “non-political.” The rules state all broadcasters must ensure the event is not politicized or brought into disrepute in any way.
Source: Metro