Three-time Eurovision winner Johnny Logan has said Israel should not be allowed to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week programme, the Irish singer-songwriter said he was “proud” of RTÉ’s decision to withdraw from the 2026 contest.
“I really feel that in this case, RTÉ definitely made the right decision,” Mr Logan told RTÉ.
“I don’t think that Israel should be allowed to hide under the umbrella of the Eurovision… make it look as though everything’s okay, business as usual, because it’s not,” he said.
“I think most people in Ireland would agree with that.”
Mr Logan welcomed the fact that RTÉ’s withdrawal was announced before Ireland had selected a song or act.
The singer pointed out that the contest does take political stances when required, citing Russia’s exclusion following its invasion of Ukraine.
“They did it with Russia in the Eurovision… they say that the Eurovision is non-political but the reality of it is when it is necessary it becomes political,” he told RTÉ.
Mr Logan said the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) should have barred Israel from this year’s contest.
“I think that the EBU should have made a decision regarding Israel, a decision removing them from the show and taking that decision away from individual countries,” he said.
“But being as it is, I really think that what Ireland, what RTÉ, have done is exactly the right thing to do. I support them 100%.”
He reiterated that Israel should be “removed” from future contests, stressing: “It’s not about the Israeli people, it’s about the people in charge of Israel, the governments that have been making these decisions.”
Mr Logan added that allowing Israel to compete “adds a kind of respectability to the way they’ve behaved”, describing participation as a relatively small issue but one with symbolic weight.
The former Eurovision winner called on other countries’ broadcasters to follow RTÉ’s lead and boycott the contest.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
