Musician and songwriter Phil Coulter has called on the UK to withdraw from the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is allowed to take part.
Coulter, who co-wrote the UK’s 1967 winning entry Puppet on a String, said he was 100% behind Ireland’s state broadcaster RTÉ, which has already threatened to pull out of Eurovision over the war in Gaza.
Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster, Coulter said musicians and performers are human beings with consciences and argued that allowing Israel to compete while Russia was banned in 2022 for invading Ukraine was a double standard.
“What’s the difference between that tragic event and what’s happening in Gaza?” he asked.
Coulter urged the BBC to follow RTÉ’s lead, saying many in the UK and Ireland were disgusted by what’s going on in Gaza.
RTÉ has said it will make a final decision once the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises Eurovision, decides on Israel’s participation.
Coulter added that withdrawing from the contest would be “the only sensible and decent thing to do” if Israel remains in the competition
