Sergey Dolzhenko / EPA
Salvador Sobral won the 62nd edition of the Eurovision Song Festival
Singer contradicts Simone de Oliveira and considers that Portugal should leave the festival case Israel remains.
Salvador Sobral think Israel must be out of the next festival Eurovision of the song. If you continue to participate, Portugal should leave of the event in 2026.
“Expeling Israel from Eurovision is symbolic, recognizing the state of Palestine is also symbolic, but very strongly, with a flotilla that goes to Gaza. They are symbolic things, obviously with different dimensions.”
“It’s time for Portugal to wake upboth in the government and in the public channel, which should take the participation of Portugal if Israel participates, I have no doubt ”, continues the singer, in an interview with.
Simone de Oliveira I had said, also in, that it is necessary to wage the “madness” of the war in Gaza but thinks that subjects should not be added: “But Let’s mix politics with songs? Is it worth it? Will this result in any thing? Will not the world suddenly be all over, against the songs, against the lyrics, the streets, the monuments, against everything? ”
Salvador Sobral, Eurovision winner in 2017, does not agree: “I could no longer be in disagreement. All art is political And obviously it should be mixed, man is his art and should speak of the convictions of each author in the works he does. Because this is all present in art, art is also political. I am completely against this maxim that art cannot be mixed with politics. The truth is that Art has changed things in politics“.
Salvador also regrets “Duality of criteria” in relation to Russiawhich was expelled in 2022, when he invaded Ukraine: ”When the invasion of Ukraine began, all countries in Europe soon began with sanctions to Russia; and with Israel is the opposite, there is no impunity. And Eurovision follows the same line of governments, which is a line of total denial of what is happening and then decide to let Israel participate in Europe. Eurovision ”.
“For me, it was more than obvious – just as Russia was soon expelled from Eurovision – that Israel has to be expelled as soon as it has now begun this lead from more intense attacks. Since genocide is declared, it is obvious that Israel cannot be in Eurovision singing circus songs. It makes no sense, ”says the interpreter.
A RTP or meet up Next week with European Broadcasting Union.
RTP’s posture has been of silence; Like that of the Portuguese government, says Salvador Sobral: “It is trying not to make much noise and trying not to be bored, not to make any sanction to Israel, we do not even recognize the state of Palestine, let’s see when this happens. In Portugal this is so, the government does not have this strength that has other governments to punch the table.
As had won the contest in 2017, a year later Salvador Sobral went to the stage in Lisbon to deliver the prize to the 2018 winner: Netta, the representative of Israel.
