Will boycotting a song at Eurovision affect the October 2026 elections in Israel?
I don’t think so. I believe more in targeted sanctions on settlement products and services, in banning them from entering or dealing with the EU, in putting political and military cooperation on hold until fundamental change happens.
I am not convinced cultural, scientific, academic, medical, humanitarian, environmental or sports cooperation should be boycotted or suspended.
In the long run, if Israelis themselves are still overwhelmingly unaware of the deep immorality of their occupation and apartheid system, we need to convince as many voices in Israel and the diaspora as possible.
It’s a fine line between a blind boycott and a balanced, targeted but resolute sanction policy on specific areas : the military, ministerial meetings, dual-use tech…
When South Africa’s western allies decided to suspend their military, political and investment relations in the 80s, they made clear individuals were not targeted, the apartheid system was. And it collapsed after years of divisions within Pretoria.
I hope more Israelis will realize that Europe matters, that they depend on it, and that they need to urgently change course before a full ban in the years to come.
