Cartoonist Harry Burton: 'Israel should be banned from all cultural and sporting events, not just Eurovision'

Cartoonist Harry Burton, who drew widespread attention with a recent piece criticising Israel’s participation in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, said allowing Israel to compete despite its genocide in Gaza is wrong and that in fact it should be banned from all cultural and sporting events. 

The European Broadcasting Union's Dec. 4 decision to allow Israel to compete in next year’s Eurovision in Vienna has sparked a backlash across the continent. Citing Israel's deadly attacks on Palestinians and the ongoing attacks and famine in Gaza, national broadcasters of Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia, and Iceland have all announced that they would withdraw from the contest in protest. Other countries could follow.