From Wagner to Eurovision: The debate over Jews in music – opinion
GOL KALEV
A number of European countries have objected to Israel’s participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest.
In 1850, famed German opera composer Richard Wagner published an essay titled “Jews in Music,” where he argued that Jews are polluting Europe, including through music.
Opera houses and concert halls should not stage music composed by Jews, in spite of their popularity, he argued. European music-lovers should understand that those are not individual composers but representatives of dangerous “Jewishness” that corrupts European culture and society.
Some 170 years later, the debate over “Jews in Music” is back, as a number of European countries object to the Jewish state’s participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest – Europe’s favorite pastime watched by nearly 200 million viewers, where every state submits a song that gets ranked by the other countries. Indeed, Eurovision is broadly perceived as Europe’s popularity contest for nations.
Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia took a step further than Wagner. They not only warned of the “unconscionable” participation of the Jewish state, once again accused of committing crimes against humanity, but have also taken measures to protect Europeans: They enacted an unprecedented “total broadcasting blackout,” making sure their citizens would not be able to watch Eurovision.
Like Wagner, Spanish Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun explained that “it is not an individual artist who participates but someone who participates on behalf of that country’s citizens.”
Similarly, Ireland argued that collaborating with an art event in which Israel participates is inconsistent with the “conscience” of Ireland.
Boycotting Israel
For the last 2,300 years, Europe has tried to eradicate the Jewish nation and negate the concept of Judaism – sometimes through physical means, like in the previous century, and sometimes through ideological ones like in our time: negating the idea of Judaism by negating the idea of the Jewish state.
Europe makes it clear that it prioritizes the assault on Judaism over self-preservation. For example, European recognition of a Palestinian state had no effect on Israel or the Middle East but helped fuel the nascent European Muslim national movement.
Similarly, Spain and Italy canceling security and military contracts with Israel has no impact on the Israeli economy but could have devastating consequences for the safety of European civilians and soldiers – should those ever be in battle.
Apologists for this European state-sponsored antisemitism argue that it is not Europe’s fault but Israel’s. In previous years, the logic goes, it was ok to enjoy an art event in which the Jewish state participated because Israel was well-behaved, but now Israel has gone astray: It engaged in brutal fighting in Gaza, it invaded Lebanon, and it is building settlements.
It is not Israel but Europe that changed
This was a decade after Israel took over the West Bank and Gaza, and during the years in which Israel engaged in intensive counterinsurgency operations in Gaza, condemned by much of the Western world. It was a month after Israel invaded Lebanon in reaction to PLO terrorism (“Litani Operation”), drawing sharp rebuke by the international community.
It was also at a high point of the Israeli settlement expansion project. Those began in the mid-1970s and accelerated after the 1977 election of right-wing prime minister Menachem Begin. By the time Europe chose Israel as the winner of the 1978 Eurovision, there were dozens of new settlements.
The following year, the Eurovision Song Contest was held in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. None of the European countries boycotted it (Turkey did). Once again, Europeans expressed their love to the Jewish state and chose Israel as the winner, with a song that praises God – “Hallelujah.”
By the early 1980s, Israel’s invasion of Lebanon was full-scale, reaching Beirut. Settlement expansion was on a steep trajectory, and in what was broadly condemned by the West, Israel obliterated Iraq’s nuclear capabilities built by Saddam Hussein.
No doubt, Israeli actions in the 1980s were more “extreme” than those of the 2020s. What was the reaction of Europeans?
In 1982, Europeans awarded Israel the second place in the Eurovision contest with the song “Hora,” which celebrates Zionism.
In 1983, once again, they awarded Israel the second place with the song “Chai,” known for its rallying call “The nation of Israel is alive.”
Twenty European nations stood firm in their love of Israel and support for Zionism. This was as Israel was fighting in Gaza, invading Lebanon, engaging in daring foreign operations, and rapidly expanding Jewish life in Judea and Samaria.
How could this happen?
There was no EU yet to orchestrate the indoctrination of the global population against the Jewish state, and there was no longer Wagner – his vision fully implemented by the Nazis during last century’s attempt to eradicate Judaism.
In 1990, Italy won the Eurovision contest with a song celebrating the upcoming formation of the European Union: “Together, unite, unite, Europe.” Since then, Europe seems to unite in its opposition to Israel and, as US President Donald Trump stated, to America as well.
While Europe is on an anti-Jewish rush, there are also a growing number of Europeans that are calling for a historic shift in Europe’s assault on Judaism. Rather than block the music coming from Zion, enjoy it – Hallelujah!
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