Israeli Eurovision expert Alon Amir was scheduled to judge the Estonian pre-Eurovision song contest on Saturday, but ten days before the contest, he received news that he would no longer act as a judge due to being Israeli.
Amir has served as the spokesperson for the Israeli delegations in 2009, 2012, 2013, and 2016, as well as serving in similar positions for foreign delegations as well. He has also judged several Eurovision preliminaries and written books on the storied contest.
He received an invitation to judge the final of the Estonian pre-Eurovision competition three weeks ago, but then received the phone call rescinding the offer. According to Estonian TV networks, the reason for the cancelation was the imposition of a veto on everything related to the State of Israel during this sensitive time, with networks not interested in receiving negative attention.
Amir's statement in response
In an interview with Mako, Amir stated, “It was done not in a malicious way; I understand them [...] If they bring an Israeli judge, it will cause a mess.”
In a post published on Amir’s Facebook page, he wrote: "When I received the invitation, I thought to myself that they were very brave to invite an Israeli at a time like this... The lovely production team wanted me, but the Estonian TV management vetoed it because it would bring unwanted attention in their direction." In a conversation with Mako, he emphasizes: "I understand them. I'm upset on a personal level, but I understand the desire to avoid it."
A controversial year for Eurovision?
This year's Eurovision, which will be held in Sweden in May, has not been free of politicization and controversy. In January, Iceland stated that they were considering pulling out of the Eurovision contest because of Israel's attendance amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Other Scandinavian countries, in their pre-Eurovision competitions to pick a contestant, have protested Israel's participation in the contest this year, including calls to boycott Israel.
However, several leaders in the entertainment industry have written and signed an open letter that supports Israel's participation in the 2024 Eurovision Contest, as the decision was upheld by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).