On 23 September, the EBU confirmed that Eurovision 2019 will be held in Tel Aviv. The announcement brought to an end months of speculation which began the moment Netta lifted the famous glass microphone for Israel in May.
However, it appears that the news has yet to reach the Irish Labour Party. On Saturday evening, Ireland’s fourth largest political party — as of the last general election — called upon RTÉ to boycott the upcoming song contest should it be held in Jerusalem.
Tabled by Labour Youth, the motion was passed during the party’s annual conference in Dublin. It read:
“[Labour] calls on RTÉ to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest in 2019 if Israel proceeds with its proposals to host Eurovision in Jerusalem. This boycott must stay in place till a peace deal is agreed between Palestine and Israel.”
According to thejournal.ie, the motion was placed on the conference agenda before the EBU’s announcement in September. However, a party spokesperson could not confirm why the motion was not subsequently amended.
On a related matter, conference attendees also passed a motion calling on the Irish government to implement a cultural boycott of Israel with immediate effect.
Eurovision 2019 Boycott calls
Today’s motion is just the latest call for for Ireland to boycott next year’s Eurovision in Israel. Sinn Féin, another opposition party, debated a similar motion at its party conference.
Meanwhile, a number of figures from the arts signed a petition seeking a boycott. They included Eurovision 1994 winner Charlie McGettigan and 1997 host Carrie Crowley.
However, Ireland’s Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said that boycotting the contest would “polarise things even further” and not advance the Palestinian cause.
The Israeli Embassy to Ireland also issued a statement in response:
“Boycotts merely encourage division and do nothing to further the cause of peace. The Eurovision is a cultural event and should not become politicised by extreme voices seeking to boycott Israel. Israel has a long and proud history of participation in the Eurovision.
Over the years, the Israeli contestants have showcased the diversity and openness of Israeli society. Indeed, in 1998 the Israeli winner – Dana International – brought the issue of trans-identity into the mainstream. We look forward to welcoming the international community to enjoy the Eurovision in Israel next year. We are sure that a small minority of individuals, who are seeking yet another vehicle to demonise Israel, will not disrupt what is sure to be a magnificent event.”
Despite the furore as to whether Ireland should boycott Israel or not, the country’s national broadcaster RTÉ has confirmed participation for 2019.
After a four year absence, Ireland returned to the Eurovision grand final with Ryan O’Shaughnessy in Lisbon. And on 4 October, RTÉ made it clear it wants to keep the momentum going by revealing that it’s looking for “accomplished songwriters and performers, with a proven track record of success in the music industry” to submit a song to represent Ireland at Eurovision 2019 in Tel Aviv. The submission window is open until 23 November.
Nonetheless, the broadcaster has confirmed that it will not sanction any employee who refuses to travel to Israel.
Follow all of our Ireland Eurovision 2019 news.
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I disagree with a boycott, but I don’t think it’s fair to write off any dissenters as “nutty” crackpots. It just depends on your perspective. As Carrie Crowley points out, due to their own history, the Irish will of course have empathy with any oppressed people. The UK oppressed and occupied Ireland for centuries. Indeed the very word ” boycott” comes from this history – per google – “Charles Cunningham Boycott was an English land agent whose ostracism by his local community in Ireland gave the English language the verb “to boycott”…”…
Wouldn’t that also make them empathize with Jews though? It ought to, at least. If they’re just talking about the government, I’d understand.
Another move of people who
a) don’t know Eurovision well
b) don’t care about Eurovision
c) don’t know the facts (hosting already decided and so on)
d) just want to make themselves interesting and feel morally superior.
Just a bunch of deplorables…..
labour party consist of 7 people in a govermment of 158 lol as if they are even 1 percent relevant
hypocracy….and a bot of stupidity
And here we see the pure ignorance and blindness of Israel haters xD
This is old old news so boring get over…
Did this just happen last week? Or is it still ongoing as of last week? Who’s speaks for the Labour Party there? Is he that paranoid to think that Israel might move this contest from Tel Aviv, where all the action is?
Who? The Labour Party of Ireland is a totally separate party to Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour, for the record. They share similar ideals, but they have no connection.
Haters will hate. Israel will bring an amazing events that will show how diverse and open the Israelis society is.
See you all in Tel Aviv! <3
They just cheapen their cause..
Virtue signaling at its finest.
I feel like most Irish people aren’t as nutty as these folks. They’ll send a strong performer who understands what Eurovision is all about.
Absolutely! Ryan has completely understood what Eurovision is all about – or should I say “all aboard” 😀
Ryan and Brendan both went to Israel for the promotional tour (including a stop in Jerusalem!) and I’d say they’re both pretty forward-thinking liberal dudes.
Well that sums the Labour party up brilliantly !
Hopefully voters will boycott a party which can’t even research the simplest of facts. Eww.
Seeing how labour only has 7 seats out of 158 in government, many of us Irish don’t give a crap about them anyway
The Irish Labour Party is now a very small party and is not left wing. As an Irishwoman it is a bit embarrassing they don’t even know which city the Eurovision will be held in!
As if Ireland won’t be participating anyway… I can see all the countries who threatened to boycott going to Tel Aviv as if nothing ever happened…
They’re SO pressed. One of the reasons why the Left is getting defeat after defeat around the world… focus on real problems not on these petty things.
oh the agenda, not even hidden…
Geez, what was the Labour Party using for their Internet?
Internet explorer, I reckon…
This vote is as irrelevant as the Labour Party of Ireland. They have 7 seats out of 158 in Parliament. Talk about moral preening. Shameful!
I don’t get this article… or RTE for that matter… It has already been confirmed that the contest will be held in Tel Aviv and not Jerusalem. So why are RTE still going on about potentially boycotting the show if it’s held in a city that has already been confirmed as not hosting it. It doesn’t make sense to me.
It’s not RTE. A political party is the one calling for a boycott but it apparently didn’t get the memo about the host city announcement months ago.
Just saying that this is a political party, not RTE. RTE know full well that its in Tel Aviv, even says so on the RTE website. These are just some politicians who have for some reason not done their homework and have nothing to do with Eurovision or Ireland’s participation within it.
Some protesters want a complete boycott of Israel, not just Jerusalem. The fact it’s in Tel Aviv doesn’t matter.
Ahaha, just shows, how little knowledge they have of what they’re actually doing. they’ll say anything, if they think they can gain some votes from it from the ignorant.
It would be pretty funny to see ireland win eurovision this year with an extremely pro israeli person.