Minister urged to take Malta out of Eurovision if Israel is in
Palestinian embassy, GWU and NGOs call for firm action
The Palestinian embassy, the General Workers' Union, the Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association and a group of NGOs insisted on Tuesday that Malta should pressure the European Broadcasting Union to exclude Israel from the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest, and Malta should stay out if it didn't.
Last month, Culture Minister Owen Bonnici told Times of Malta that Malta will take part in the contest even if Israel was allowed to compete. Several countries have said they won't.
"Our demands are clear and simple. We want Malta to join the growing list of countries - those being Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia - putting pressure on the European Broadcasting Union to exclude Israel from the upcoming edition of the Eurovision Song Contest on the basis of its war crimes against the Palestinian people and the genocide it is currently committing," the group said in a letter to Bonnici.
"If the Eurovision Broadcasting Union refuses to comply, Malta must refuse to participate in a contest that so easily sweeps war crimes to the side for the sake of entertainment."
The group said that while it commended the Maltese government's decision to formally recognise the State of Palestine, this recognition would remain merely symbolic and unsubstantiated if Malta did not take firm action against the total annihilation of Palestine and the Palestinian people by Israel.
"The time for dialogue with a rogue state such as Israel is over. How much longer must the Palestinian people die and suffer in the name of 'encouraging dialogue' with an entity that clearly does not care for it? Let Malta be one of the nations that shows Israel and the rest of the international community that we will not tolerate the whitewashing of crimes against humanity," they said.
The letter was signed by Moviment Graffitti, Inizjamed, Solidarjeta', Lebanese Advocates, Watermelon Warriors, Ġustizzja għall-Palestina, General Workers Union, Għaqda għall-Ġustizzja, Ugwaljanza u Paċi, Embassy of Palestine, Skop and Kopin.
The Nationalist opposition has also said Malta should be prepared to boycott the contest if Israel contests.
"Using music to promote peace is natural, and in the same way other countries have announced they are prepared to stay away, Malta should do the same," said PN shadow spokesperson Julie Zahra, herself a former Eurovision contestant.