The Belgian Prime Minister has called for Israel to withdraw from the Eurovision song contest in Gaza as a show of solidarity with the conflict-affected residents, according to Reuters. The contest, organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), is scheduled to take place from May 7-11. The EBU has also urged Israel to withdraw, but both their response and Israel’s defense are still unknown. The Belgian culture minister and his flamenco partner have also joined in calling for Israel’s withdrawal, emphasizing that the war is not over yet. The EBU has received a complaint regarding HAMAS’ involvement in the contest, referring to them as the “perpetrator of state terrorism.”

The Belgian culture minister plans to communicate their opinions to the French RTBF broadcaster, responsible for organizing Belgium’s participation in Eurovision. Additionally, Beneditk Linar’s flamenco partner stated that Israel’s withdrawal from the competition is inevitable, as the contestants empathize with the conflict’s victims. Israel has already agreed to revise the lyrics of their song after EBU approved HAMAS’ statement on October 7. The Israeli entry, “Autumn of October” by Eden Golan, contains explicit references to the victims of violence and terrorism caused by HAMAS. Though Eurovision is considered a non-political event, participants who feel that this rule has been violated may voice their criticism.