The campaign “Malta: No Music for Genocide” is calling a national protest on Saturday, 21 February, at 3pm, starting from outside Parliament in Valletta. Artists, organisations, communities, and members of the public will unite to march for Malta’s withdrawal from the Eurovision 2026 as long as the genocidal state of Israel is allowed to participate.

The campaign is led by organisations in solidarity with Palestine, together with an organisation representing workers in the arts and entertainment industry. It has already received several endorsements, including from former President of the Republic Hon. Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, the Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement (MGRM), human rights organisations, a workers’ union, and dozens of people from the arts scene, including musicians, writers, actors, and producers.

Endorsements can be submitted via www.maltanomusicforgenocide.org or by emailing info@maltanomusicforgenocide.org

Israel’s conduct constitutes a threat to all of humanity. Its ongoing genocide in Gaza has massacred over 70,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom are children, and has razed the territory to the ground. This genocide follows decades of illegal occupation, apartheid policies, settler expansion, and the mass kidnapping, expulsion, and dispossession of Palestinians. Israel is also currently extending its colonial occupation into Lebanon and Syria.

The arts and culture sphere – and the Eurovision in particular – does not exist separately from these realities. Cultural platforms are used by Israel to launder its blood-soaked reputation. Last year, in the midst of the genocide in Gaza, the Israeli broadcaster allocated a record budget to its Eurovision participation. In contrast, Russia was immediately barred from the Eurovision following its invasion of Ukraine.

Israel should never have been allowed to participate in this competition or to present itself as a normal state while exterminating Palestinians and stealing their land. However, since the European Broadcasting Union took the shameful decision to allow Israel’s participation, Malta now has the opportunity to take a stand for justice and international law by joining Spain, Iceland, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Ireland in withdrawing from this compromised competition.

Regrettably, the Maltese Government has missed multiple opportunities to stand up for human rights and international law. The Prime Minister has even declared that he is considering joining Donald Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace” tasked with furthering Israel’s colonial plans in Gaza.

However, it is not too late for Malta to stand for justice. Withdrawing from the Eurovision would represent a principled stand against the normalisation of genocide and in favour of freedom, dignity, and self-determination.

On Saturday, 21 February, we will march in Valletta to send a clear message to the Government: we refuse to be complicit in genocide. We want to be able to say, with pride, that Malta stood on the right side of history.

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Malta: L-Ebda Mużika għall-Ġenoċidju – Protesta Nazzjonali nhar is-Sibt 21 ta’ Frar

Il-kampanja “Malta: L-Ebda Mużika għall-Ġenoċidju” qed issejjaħ protesta nazzjonali nhar is-Sibt, 21 ta’ Frar, fit-3.00pm, li tibda minn quddiem il-Parlament fil-Belt Valletta. Artisti, għaqdiet, komunitajiet u membri tal-pubbliku se jingħaqdu f’mixja biex jitolbu li Malta tirtira mill-Eurovision 2026 sakemm l-istat ġenoċidali tal-Iżrael jitħalla jipparteċipa.

Il-kampanja hija mmexxija minn għaqdiet ta’ solidarjetà mal-Palestina, flimkien ma’ għaqda li tirrappreżenta lill-ħaddiema fis-settur tal-arti u d-divertiment. Il-kampanja diġà rċeviet l-appoġġ ta’ bosta persuni u għaqdiet, fosthom mill-eks President tar-Repubblika l-Onor. Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, mill-Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement (MGRM), minn għaqdiet tad-drittijiet tal-bniedem, minn unjin tal-ħaddiema, u minn għexieren ta’ persuni fix-xena tal-arti, inklużi mużiċisti, kittieba, atturi u produtturi.

Appoġġ jista’ jingħata permezz tas-sit www.maltanomusicforgenocide.org, jew billi jintbagħat email fuq info@maltanomusicforgenocide.org.

L-imġiba ta’ Iżrael hija ta’ theddida għall-umanità kollha. Il-ġenoċidju kontinwu tiegħu f’Gaża qatel aktar minn 70,000 Palestinjan, il-maġġoranza tagħhom tfal, u qered it-territorju kważi kompletament. Dan il-ġenoċidju qed jitwettaq wara għexieren ta’ snin ta’ okkupazzjoni illegali, politiki ta’ apartheid, espansjoni tas-settlers, u ħtif, tkeċċija u esproprjazzjoni tal-massa tal-poplu Palestinjan. L-Iżrael bħalissa qed jestendi wkoll l-okkupazzjoni kolonjali tiegħu fil-Libanu u fis-Sirja.

Il-qasam tal-arti u l-kultura – u l-Eurovision b’mod partikolari – ma jeżistix separatament minn dawn ir-realtajiet. Pjattaformi kulturali jintużaw mill-Iżrael biex jaħsel ir-reputazzjoni mdemmija tiegħu. Is-sena l-oħra, f’nofs il-ġenoċidju f’Gaża, ix-xandar Iżraeljan alloka baġit rekord għall-parteċipazzjoni tiegħu fl-Eurovision. B’kuntrast, ir-Russja ġiet eskluża immedjatament mill-Eurovision wara l-invażjoni tagħha tal-Ukrajna.

L-Iżrael qatt ma kellu jitħalla jipparteċipa f’din il-kompetizzjoni jew jitħalla jippreżenta ruħu bħala stat normali waqt li qed jeqred lill-Palestinjani u jisraq l-art tagħhom. Madankollu, peress li l-EBU ħadet id-deċiżjoni tal-mistħija li tippermetti l-parteċipazzjoni tal-Iżrael, Malta issa għandha l-opportunità li tieħu pożizzjoni favur il-ġustizzja u d-dritt internazzjonali billi tingħaqad ma’ Spanja, l-Iżlanda, is-Slovenja, l-Olanda u l-Irlanda fl-irtirar minn din il-kompetizzjoni kompromessa.

Sfortunatament, il-Gvern Malti tilef diversi opportunitajiet biex jiddefendi d-drittijiet tal-bniedem u d-dritt internazzjonali. Il-Prim Ministru saħansitra stqarr li qed jikkunsidra jingħaqad mal-hekk imsejjaħ “Bord tal-Paċi” ta’ Donald Trump, imwaqqaf biex ikompli jmexxi l-pjani kolonjali tal-Iżrael f’Gaża.

Madankollu, għadu mhux tard wisq biex Malta tieħu pożizzjoni favur il-ġustizzja. L-irtirar mill-Eurovision ikun att ta’ prinċipju kontra n-normalizzazzjoni tal-ġenoċidju u favur il-libertà, id-dinjità u l-awtodeterminazzjoni.

Nhar is-Sibt, 21 ta’ Frar, se nimxu fil-Belt Valletta biex nibagħtu messaġġ ċar lill-Gvern: nirrifjutaw li nkunu kompliċi fil-ġenoċidju. Irridu nkunu nistgħu ngħidu, kburin, li Malta kienet fuq in-naħa tas-sewwa tal-istorja.