Why Eurovision is Political

And Israel needs to be in it

Bulgaria was the surprise winner of Eurovision 2026, less of a surprise if you remember that Bulgaria adopted the Euro at the start of this year.

The European Broadcasting Union is separate from the EU, but 22 countries whose broadcasters are members are also in both the EU and NATO.

It’s a running joke that countries vote politically in the contest, but the political usefulness of the EBU goes deeper than doing a small favour for your neighbour.

In 1946, the Soviet Union proposed the International Radio and Television Organisation to replace the International Broadcasting Union, which had been used for Nazi propaganda during the war. Capitalist countries, led by the BBC, were worried that the Soviets would spread peace and socialism through the network, so set up the EBU in 1950 as a pro-western rival.

This led to the creation of Eurovision, a cultural television network best known for its Song Contest. Socialist countries were not allowed to participate, apart from Yugoslavia, a member of the EBU and a collaborator with the USA.

Former communist countries did not enter the contest until 1994.

Though communist countries no longer exist in Europe, anti-communist organisations such as the EU, EBU and NATO still do. As Russia still refuses to cooperate with imperialist America so anti-communism becomes general Russophobia.

Russia was banned from Eurovision (the apolitical song contest) in 2022, six years after the Ukraine won with a non-political song*

Liberals welcomed the expulsion of Russia because invading a country is wrong, and punishing someone for doing something wrong is not political. Then they wondered if Israel would be banned too, for invading Gaza (and later, Iran)

Well it wasn’t, because the expulsion of Russia was political and so was the inclusion of Israel. Like the Ukraine, Israel is a friend of imperialism. It’s very existence is political.

In 1973 Israel shot down Flight 114, assassinated several PLO members (and civilians) in Lebanon, murdered a Morrocan waiter in Norway, signed the Camp David Accords and entered Eurovision for the first time.

Israel first won in 1978, also the year they invaded Lebanon, Afghan communists came to power and the Iranian revolution began. The West definitely needed Israel on its side and vice versa.

In 2025 the EBU launched Eurovision News Spotlight as a “powerful collective defence against misinformation” In other words, a network controlling the narrative for us workers in Europe.

They claim to have evidence of alleged Russian abduction of Ukrainian children in the form of a documentary, made without speaking to, or entering Russia.

It will come as no surprise that the BBC, which has spread misinformation since the General Strike of 1926 is a member of Spotlight too.

*the song was critical of Stalin who, according to the EBU, is a historical figure, not a political one.

Chris Haws

May 2026