Belgian Parliament Urges Eurovision Boycott Over Israel's Participation

Belgian lawmakers have called on the country's public broadcasters to withdraw from the Eurovision Song Contest. They cite Israel's participation in the event amid the war in Gaza. In a resolution passed Thursday, the federal parliament asked RTBF and VRT not to take part. The non-binding motion urges a boycott until a permanent ceasefire is in place. It states that Israel's inclusion normalizes its military actions. The French-language broadcaster RTBF says it will announce its final decision "in the coming days." The Flemish-language broadcaster VRT has not yet commented. The European Broadcasting Union, which organizes Eurovision, has repeatedly rejected calls to exclude Israel. The 2024 Eurovision contest will be held in Malmö, Sweden, in May. Israel's entry, "Hurricane" by singer Eden Golan, was approved after some lyric changes.