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Iceland kicks off campaign to boot Israel out of Eurovision
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PROGRESSIVE and anti-war groups in Iceland have intensified initiatives in solidarity with Palestine and against Israel’s ongoing genocidal war on Palestinians.
The Iceland-Palestine Association and BDS Iceland held a demonstration on January 18 outside the office of the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RUV) in Reykjavik to urge the national broadcaster to challenge Israel’s participation in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest 2024 organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in Sweden.
In the protest titled United in Music — Torn Apart by Genocide, several musicians in Iceland delivered their petition urging RUV to refuse to participate in Eurovision alongside Israel which has been carrying out a genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
Meanwhile, a public petition titled Iceland Against Genocide calling on the government to support South Africa’s lawsuit in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israeli genocide, was launched by peace activists.
On January 11, the ICJ began hearings on charges of genocide brought against Israel by South Africa. Several countries including Malaysia, Colombia, Turkey, Venezuela, Brazil, Namibia, Nicaragua, Bolivia, and others expressed their support for South Africa’s case against Israel ahead of the proceedings.
As of January 17, the US-backed war on Palestinians has killed more than 24,250 people and wounded more than 61,100 others, with more than 1.9 million people displaced in Gaza.
On January 15, to mark protest on the hundredth day of the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza, trade unions including the Icelandic Teachers’ Union, Icelandic Confederation of Labour (ASI), and the Confederation of State and Municipal Employees of Iceland (BSRB) raised the Palestine flag in their offices and extended their solidarity with the Palestinian people.
In a joint statement, the unions said that “the workers’ movement is a global movement for democracy, human rights, and peace, and a number of our sister organisations around the world are now also using their power to end the genocide in Gaza.
“There is no appearance of a pause in the current attacks, as well as rising tensions in the West Bank day by day. With this symbolic action, 100 days after the start of the conflict, the organisation wants to show support for the Palestinian people and we call on the Icelandic government to make greater efforts to resolve the conflict, in any way possible.”
On January 13, the Iceland-Palestine Association organised a Palestine solidarity walk which concluded in front of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Reykjavik city.
Activist Ingolfur Gislason stated that “the Icelandic government must reconcile the will of the Icelandic public and the Icelandic public wants to stop the genocide in Palestine! Councillors should use all available means to prevent gang murders, according to the UN Treaty. And leaders should have the guts to do what is right. Support South Africa’s lawsuit against Israel before the International Court of Justice!”
This article appeared on Peoplesdispatch.org.
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South Africa has urged the International Court of Justice to issue urgent interim measures including an immediate suspension of Israeli military aggression in and against Gaza, reports TANUPRIYA SINGH