Israel-Hamas war in Gaza: Phil Coulter's views on Eurovision Song Contest challenged after he backs RTE call for Israel ban
It is "damning" that Irish musician Phil Coulter wants to ban Israel from the Eurovision song contest when the country's last contestant only survived the Hamas October 7 massacre by hiding under the bodies of loved ones, a leading Irish Jew has said.
Daniel O'Dowd of Ireland-Israel Alliance was speaking after Dutch public broadcaster Avrotros joined the Irish broadcaster RTE in a proposed boycott of Eurovision if Israel remains as a participant.
It comes as the BBC faced similar calls from a man who co-wrote one of the UK’s winning entries.
RTE said multiple members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which runs the contest, have raised concerns about the participation of Israel – though it is reported that more EBU members support Israel than oppose it.
Yesterday, musician and songwriter Phil Coulter said he was “100% behind” RTE’s decision.
Coulter, who co-wrote the UK’s winning 1967 entry, Puppet On A String by Sandie Shaw, said there was a “double standard” because Russia and Belarus had previously been expelled from the contest.
Born in Londonderry in 1942, he has won five Ivor Novello awards with 23 platinum, 39 gold and 52 silver discs among his collection. Among his most celebrated hits is ‘The town I know so well’.
However Mr O’Dowd hit back. "It is damning that Coulter has chosen to side against a country [Israel] whose last Eurovision contestant only survived the Nova massacre by hiding under the bodies of loved ones,” he said.
Israel's singer last year, Yuval Raphael, came runner-up in the final. She only survived the October 7 attack in 2023 by hiding under the bodies of friends at the Nova Music Festival, where Hamas massacred 350 young people - many of them raped and dismembered on camera.
OCTOBER 7 AND ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
The current Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023 when Hamas murdered 1,200 Israelis and took 250 hostages - of whom 48 are still captive. Hamas says that Israel has since killed some 60,000 people in Gaza, but declines to say how many were fighters or civilians.
Critics of Israel have accused it of orchestrating genocide in Gaza – which it denies.
Classed as a terrorist organisation by the EU, US and UK, Hamas has said it will carry out October 7 again if it can.
Its aim is to replace Israel with an Islamic-based state; Over 11,000 rockets have been launched from Gaza into Israel since 2005 - Hamas taking power in 2006-7.
PHIL COULTER’S STAND
Speaking on the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster radio programme today, Coulter said: “We can’t normalise what’s going on in Gaza. It’s not a question of disapproval, it’s a question of absolute disgust.”
Mr Coulter said he recognised that a song contest was “not going to change the world” but added: “We musicians, songwriters, performers, are human beings with consciences and with our conscience still very alert.
“I think the only sensible thing and the only decent thing for RTE to do is to withdraw from the contest if Israel is allowed to perform.”
Asked if the BBC - which oversees the UK entry - should take a similar stand, he added: “I do. I think its a question of conscience.”
On the same programme, former Irish Eurovision winner, Dana, said: “Anyone with a heart would be devastated by the catastrophic situation in Gaza”.
IRISH JEW HITS BACK
But Mr O'Dowd responded that the Irish public "gave strong backing to the Israel act last year".
On the final scoreboard, he said, Israel received 17 points overall from the Republic of Ireland – 10 from the Irish public and seven from the Irish jury.
This showed, he claims, "a serious divorce between Irish public opinion and the prevailing national narrative on Israel".
Regarding Coulter's comments, he added: "Why are we surprised that yet another Irish activist and celebrity has taken a stance against Israel? It's become cliche at this point.”
He added: "Every element of Irish society - cultural, political, economic - has been weaponised, to one end - to define the Jewish State solely by the conflict with Hamas, and the lies of the Palestinian movement.”
WHICH STATES ARE FOR AND AGAINST ISRAEL?
According to international media reports, Ireland, Iceland, Spain and Slovenia are pressing for Israel to be removed from the competition.
However it is also claimed that Germany and Italy will withdraw if Israel is barred – with Austria and Switzerland also expressing support for Israel. Greece, Azerbaijan, and Cyprus will reportedly side with Israel in any vote.
WHAT DOES EUROVISION SAY?
However the EBU declined to confirm any breakdown in the dispute.
Martin Green CBE, Director Eurovision Song Contest, said members have until mid-December to confirm if they wish to take part in next year’s event in Vienna.
“It is up to each Member to decide if they want to take part in the Contest and we would respect any decision broadcasters make,” he said.
The EBA also rejected objections from the Netherlands that the Israeli government paid for adverts last year urging people to vote for Israel, saying that this is “not currently against the rules".
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".