An MP has called for rank and file Eurovision Song Contest fans - who chose Israel as their favourite last year - to boycott the competition if the country is ejected.

Sammy Wilson was speaking after Eurovision Song Contest organisers said member broadcasters will vote in November on whether Israel can participate in the musical extravaganza next year.

Calls have mounted for the country to be excluded over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The board of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which brings together public broadcasters and runs the event, has sent a letter to members indicating that the vote will take place at an extraordinary general meeting held online in early November.

placeholder image — Israeli singer Yuval Raphael came second in the Eurovision Song Conest last year, thanks in part to strong support from the Irish public and jury. She is a survivor of the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, having hidden under bodies at the Nova Music festival in Israel to survive.

In May's competition the public vote came out overwhelmingly in favour of Israel’s singer Yuval Raphael; the Jewish singer narrowly survived the October 7 attack in 2023 by hiding under the bodies of friends at the Nova Music Festival.

However she narrowly missed out on taking the overall crown in a tense finale, with the competition judges announcing Austria’s JJ the winner with ‘Wasted Love’.

Countries including Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain have threatened not to participate next year unless Israel is excluded, while Germany and Austria have backed Israel.

The Times of Israel is claiming that France and Australia are also backing Israel.

But DUP MP Mr Wilson said the EBU should also reflect on the general public's support for Israel in the competition.

“I think a lot of these countries were raging at the support Israel got at the last contest when it topped the public vote,” he said.

“But if they do exclude Israel then the public’s way of getting revenge on this petty crowd would be to simply boycott the entire competition.

“If the competition itself is going to snub the country which was most popular in the public vote last year – then I would advocate that the public snub the Eurovision Contest entirely.

“That is bound to have a huge impact on advertisers who are prepared to take slots during the competition, and that would be a good way of putting economic pressure on organisers not to exclude Israel.”

The EBA previously rejected claims that Israel achieved a huge public vote last year unfairly, stating that public votes are “verified by a huge team of people to exclude any suspicious or irregular voting patterns”.

In a statement, RTE said that Ireland will not take part in the contest if Israel remains.

“RTE feels that Ireland’s participation would be unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza,” it said.

“RTE is also deeply concerned by the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza, and the denial of access to international journalists to the territory, and the plight of the remaining hostages.”

Dean Vuletic, an expert on the history of Eurovision, noted past exclusions included Yugoslavia, as war in the Balkans was raging — and more recently that of Belarus in 2021 over a crackdown against media freedoms, and Russia in 2022 over its full-scale war in Ukraine.

He said: “If we have two blocs, one which is threatening a boycott and another which is remaining steadfast in its support of Israel, then this is potentially the most serious crisis that the contest has faced.”

Ethan Godsi, who is studying a masters degree at QUB in violence, terrorism and security, said the the call to exclude Israel represents “a deeply troubling politicisation of what is rightfully celebrated as an inclusive cultural celebration that brings people together”.

He added: “Equating Israel - an Imperfect liberal democracy engaged in a war against Hamas, a totalitarian theocratic and genocidal organisation, with Russia's unlawful, imperialist invasion of Ukraine, in an effort to crush freedom, is a false, dangerous and quite frankly insulting equivalence.

“With a deal, however imperfect, and a chance to end the suffering in Gaza and of the hostages, the international community should bring every lever to bear on hamas, rather than targeting israeli artists or civil society

“Eurovision should remain what it is at its best - a renowned spectacular cultural celebration that transcends politics, not used as a tool of division.”