United by music, divided on Israel: Eurovision tensions bubble up in famously neutral Switzerland

The EBU is preparing for a potential repeat of last year’s Eurovision Song Contest, which was overshadowed by the participation of Israel amid its war in Gaza.

BASEL, Switzerland — As tourists crossed Basel’s Mittlere Brücke bridge Thursday, some of them paused to savor the warm spring sun just as they have done for centuries. This week, the crossing that straddles the Rhine river as it meanders across the borders with nearby France and Germany was lined with flags bearing the Eurovision Song Contest slogan, “United by Music.”

Basel, and Europe at large, are anything but united.

Police and the the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) are preparing themselves for a potential repeat of last year’s iteration of Eurovision, the song competition that launched the careers of ABBA and 1988 winner Celine Dion. The 2024 contest was overshadowed by politics perhaps more than in any previous year, with fierce protests over the participation of Israel amid its government’s intensifying war on Gaza.

It’s purely by chance that this year’s contest, usually an outrageous jamboree of inscrutable lyrics and scantily clad backing dancers, is being held in a country with a long-standing policy of neutrality. Each year’s venue is dictated by which country won the previous year.

The EBU, which organizes the contest, says the event is nonpolitical, but given that it brings together dozens of countries — this year, 37 nations will take part — the divisions and flashpoints present on the world stage inevitably creep in among the pyrotechnic reveling.