Over 150 artists and other individuals involved in Malta’s arts scene have written to the Culture Minister and the PBS CEO calling for Malta’s withdrawal from Eurovision 2026 as long as Israel is allowed to participate. The letter was sent ahead of this Saturday’s protest, ‘Malta: No Music for Genocide’, which will start at 3pm outside Parliament and proceed to the Culture Ministry in Valletta.

Artists spanning musicians, actors, theatre directors, filmmakers, photographers and others stated in their letter to the Government that it is now time to act with courage and conscience.

They reminded the Government that cultural events are never politically neutral. The Eurovision itself set a precedent by barring Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, recognising that such platforms must not be used to legitimise aggression and human rights abuses. Yet today, Israel – while conducting what the United Nations has recognised as a case of genocide in Gaza, and while illegally occupying Palestinian land and parts of Lebanon and Syria – is being permitted to participate.

The signatories highlighted that participating in Eurovision alongside Israel contributes to a process of whitewashing and normalisation of actions that are systematically destroying Palestinian lives, targeting civilians, and violating international law with impunity.

The letter acknowledges that the Eurovision has been an important platform for Maltese artists. It also states, however, that when a cultural event is used to distract from or legitimise atrocities, participation ceases to be neutral and becomes a political endorsement. By joining Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Iceland in withdrawing, Malta would send a powerful message: that culture must remain a space for accountability, not for the concealment of crimes.

The artists ended by stating that withdrawing from Eurovision 2026 would not merely be a symbolic gesture, but a moral obligation aligned with Malta’s stated principles of justice, human rights and dignity for all people 

The campaign ‘Malta: No Music for Genocide‘ 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 people from the arts scene.

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Aktar minn 150 artist jappellaw lill-Gvern biex Malta tirtira mill-Eurovision 2026, qabel il-protesta tas-Sibt li ġej ‘Malta: L-Ebda Mużika għall-Ġenoċidju’

Aktar minn 150 artist u individwu ieħor involuti fix-xena artistika Maltija kitbu lill-Ministru tal-Kultura u lis-CEO tal-PBS biex, sakemm Iżrael jitħalla jipparteċipa, Malta tirtira mill-Eurovision 2026. L-ittra ntbagħtet qabel il-protesta tas-Sibt li ġej, ‘Malta: L-Ebda Mużika għall-Ġenoċidju’, li se tibda minn quddiem il-Parlament fit-3pm u timxi lejn il-Ministeru tal-Kultura fil-Belt Valletta.

Artisti li jinkludu mużiċisti, atturi, diretturi tat-teatru, produtturi tal-films, fotografi u oħrajn iddikjaraw fl-ittra tagħhom lill-Gvern li wasal iż-żmien li naġixxu b’kuraġġ u kuxjenza.

Huma fakkru lill-Gvern li l-avvenimenti kulturali qatt ma huma politikament newtrali.

Il-Eurovision innifsu ħoloq preċedent meta pprojbixxa l-parteċipazzjoni tar-Russja wara l-invażjoni tagħha tal-Ukrajna, billi rrikonoxxa li pjattaformi bħal dawn m’għandhomx jintużaw biex jilleġittimizzaw l-aggressjoni u l-abbużi tad-drittijiet umani. Madankollu, illum, Iżrael – li qed iwettaq dak li n-Nazzjonijiet Uniti rrikonoxxiet bħala każ ta’ ġenoċidju f’Gaża u qed jokkupa b’mod illegali art Palestinjana u partijiet mil-Libanu u s-Sirja – qed jitħalla jipparteċipa xorta waħda.

Il-firmatarji enfasizzaw li l-parteċipazzjoni fil-Eurovision flimkien ma’ Iżrael tikkontribwixxi għal proċess ta’ whitewashing u normalizzazzjoni ta’ azzjonijiet li qed jeqirdu b’mod sistematiku ħajjiet Palestinjani, jimmiraw lejn il-popolazzjoni ċivili, u jiksru l-liġi internazzjonali b’impunità.

L-ittra tirrikonoxxi li l-Eurovision huwa pjattaforma importanti għall-artisti Maltin. Tiddikjara wkoll, iżda, li meta avveniment kulturali jintuża biex jaħbi jew jilleġittimizza l-atroċitajiet, il-parteċipazzjoni ma tibqax newtrali u ssir approvazzjoni politika. Billi tingħaqad ma’ Spanja, l-Irlanda, is-Slovenja, in-Netherlands u l-Iżlanda fl-irtirar, Malta tibgħat messaġġ qawwi: li l-kultura trid tibqa’ spazju ta’ responsabbiltà, mhux wieħed li jaħbi r-reati.

L-artisti temmew billi ddikjaraw li l-irtirar mill-Eurovision 2026 ma jkunx sempliċement ġest simboliku, iżda obbligu morali allinjat mal-prinċipji ddikjarati ta’ Malta dwar il-ġustizzja, id-drittijiet umani u d-dinjità għall-popli kollha.

Il-kampanja ‘Malta: L-Ebda Mużika għall-Ġenoċidju‘ 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 persuni fix-xena tal-arti.