Swiss Eurovision winner Nemo returns trophy owing to participation of Israel
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Swiss Eurovision winner Nemo returns trophy owing to participation of Israel
For Nemo, Israel's continued participation in the Eurovision Song Contest is a contradiction to the ideals and values of the singing competition. As a result, Nemo wants to give the trophy back.
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According to Nemo, the Eurovision Song Contest stands for unity, inclusion and dignity for all. “These values have made this competition meaningful to me,” Nemo wrote to fans on Instagram. Blick.ch had previously reported on this.
However, because Israel is still allowed to participate in Eurovision “during an event that the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry has categorised as genocide”, Nemo sees a contradiction between the ideals of Eurovision and the decisions of the Geneva-based European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
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A week ago, the member broadcasters of the EBU voted in Geneva in favour of Israel being able to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna in 2026. In the meantime, five countries, including Spain and the Netherlands, have announced that they will not be taking part in next year’s competition in Vienna as a result.
In the post, Nemo wrote that the Eurovision Song Contest has repeatedly been used to whitewash the image of a state accused of serious misbehaviour, “while the EBU insisted that Eurovision was apolitical”.
Nemo added: “If participating countries withdraw because of this contradiction, it should be clear that something is fundamentally wrong.”
In 2024, Nemo lifted the trophy after winning with the song “The Code” in Malmö, Sweden. Now it will no longer be on Nemo’s shelf – even though the musician wrote on Instagram, “although I am eternally grateful to the community surrounding this competition and everything this experience has taught me both as a person and as an artist”.
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