On the evening of December 11th, 2023, the Icelandic Association of Composers and Lyricists (FTT; Félag tónskálda og textahöfunda) sent a letter to Icelandic broadcaster RÚV, pressuring them to withdraw from the upcoming edition of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Contents of FTT’s letter
FTT challenged their national broadcaster not to compete as long as Israel is still on the official list of participants. They argue that Israel should be disqualified on the same grounds as Russia’s current disqualification.
The letter, signed by FTT’s chairman and vice-chairman as well as five other members, states that
We all have a duty to take a stand against war and murders of civilians and innocent children. We always have a choice not to attach our name to these things, whether we are individuals or institutions of the state.
It is our duty not to share the stage of events characterized by joy and optimism with nations that act with force and military power.
FTT (translated from Icelandic)
FTT’s statement is one of the first released by a formal association from the participating countries following the news that Israel would participate in Eurovision 2024. Some Eurovision news sites, including That Eurovision Site, have also chosen to restrict their coverage of this year’s contest to exclude Israel. You may read our statement here.
Israel has been criticized for many years in Iceland for their treatment of the Palestinian people, both historical and contemporary. An Icelandic petition to boycott Eurovision collected over 27,000 signatures in 2019, when Israel last hosted the contest.
Iceland’s Eurovision journey
Iceland made its debut on the Eurovision stage in 1986, finishing 16th with the song “Gleðibankinn” (Bank of Fun) by ICY. In their 35 appearances, Iceland has finished in top 10 an impressive 7 times. Their best result to date is second place, which they have achieved twice. The first time was in 1999, where Selma Björnsdóttir received 146 points for her performance of “All Out of Luck”. The second time was in 2009, with Yohanna singing “Is It True” and receiving 218 points.
Iceland’s most recent representative on the Eurovision stage was Diljá, singing “Power” in Liverpool. At the close of the voting, Diljá finished 11th in the semi-final with 44 points from the televote, just missing out on qualifying to the final.
Let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tik-Tok, Threads and Bluesky as we prepare for Eurovision 2024!
News Source: Félag tónskálda og textahöfunda
Photo Credit: Helgi Omars
Rory Gannon
[…] in Malmö if Israel will be participating. A petition in Iceland’s Radio House, which was conducted by FTT has gathered over 9,000 signatures, whilst a survey conducted by Prósent from December 17 to 21 […]