December 2025

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Roundhouse apologises after animation projected behind band appears to show Star of David entwined with swastika

A music venue in London has apologised after antisemitic imagery was allegedly displayed on stage during a Primal Scream gig.

A video appearing to show the Star of David entwined with a swastika was said to be screened during the Scottish band’s show at the Roundhouse in Camden on Monday.

The graphics were allegedly displayed behind the band as they performed their song Swastika Eyes during a one-off gig.

A spokesperson for the Roundhouse said they were “appalled that antisemitic imagery was displayed” at the venue, adding that it had been done without their knowledge.

“We deeply regret that these highly offensive images were presented on our stage and unequivocally apologise to anyone who attended the gig, and to the wider Jewish community. The content, which was used entirely without our knowledge, stands against all of our values.”

The spokesperson said the venue “absolutely condemns antisemitism in every form”. They continued: “Acts of hatred, discrimination or prejudice of any kind are entirely unacceptable and have no place in our community or spaces. The safety of our staff and gig-going audiences remains of paramount importance to us.

“We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community and remain committed to ensuring that our spaces are places where everyone feels secure, respected and valued.”

Primal Scream, founded by frontman Bobby Gillespie in 1982, were performing a 25th anniversary show for their album XTRMNTR.

As the band performed the song, pictures of political figures, including the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the US president, Donald Trump, appeared behind them with an animation of the swastika combined with the Star of David replacing their eyes.

Images of the destruction in Gaza were also shown on screen. The video concluded with the words: “Our government is complicit in genocide.”

The Community Security Trust, which offers security, advice and training to protect British Jews, released a statement saying it had reported the band to the police and urged the venue to conduct an “urgent investigation”. A CST spokesperson said: “Entwining a Star of David with a swastika implies that Jews are Nazis and risks encouraging hatred of Jews.

“There needs to be an urgent investigation by the venue and the promoter about how this happened, and we have reported this to the police.”

The Creative Community for Peace, a pro-Israel advocacy group that campaigns against antisemitism in the entertainment industry, described the display as “an act of profound malice, desecration, and cruelty”.

It said: “The Star of David is a sacred symbol of Jewish identity; the swastika is the emblem of a genocidal regime responsible for the murder of 6 million Jews. To merge these two symbols is an act of profound malice, desecration, and cruelty. It is antisemitism in its starkest form.”

Primal Scream and the Metropolitan police have been approached for comment.

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Several countries, including Ireland and Spain, announced they would boycott the event over objections to Israel’s war with Hamas

By Kory Grow

Israel can compete in the 2026 Eurovision contest after organizers decided not to hold a vote about whether or not to disqualify the country. “A large majority of Members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation and that the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 should proceed as planned, with the additional safeguards in place,” the European Broadcasting Union, a group of broadcasters that air the contest in 56 countries, said in a statement, according to CNN.

The organizers had met in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday to discuss how to address Israel’s role in the competition after some members said they would boycott the event if the country, embroiled in a war with Gaza since 2023, was allowed to compete. Ultimately, EBU members “backed a set of targeted changes to the Eurovision Song Contest rules designed to reinforce trust, transparency and the neutrality of the event.” The new rules aim to reduce the roles of governments and third parties in influencing voting outcomes; some broadcasters accused Israel of using those methods to rally behind its 2025 competitor, Yuval Raphael.

Nevertheless, several countries have decided to boycott the event over the war. Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovenia have chosen not to compete now that Israel qualifies, according to the BBC. Ireland’s RTÉ released a statement saying it felt “participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk.”

Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, thanked the EBU for allowing his country into the competition. He called the decision on social media “an appreciated gesture of solidarity, brotherhood, and cooperation, symbolizing a victory over those who seek to silence Israel and spread hatred.”

The Creative Community for Peace, a nonprofit organization opposed to a cultural boycott of Israel, issued a statement saying the EBU “made the right decision.” Via the CCFP, Kiss vocalist-bassist Gene Simmons said, “Those advocating to exclude Israelis from Eurovision don’t move the needle toward peace—they only further divide the world.” Industry exec Scooter Braun said, via the CCFP, “Artists should never be discriminated against for who they are, who they love, or where they’re born.”

Some countries have yet to announce an opinion on the matter. Iceland and Belgium had not decided whether or not they would participate, according to the BBC, which itself said it had not decided yet whether or not it would compete. Germany, CNN reports, is backing Israel.

The Eurovision Song Contest, launched in 1956, last year drew an estimated 166 million viewers worldwide. The 2026 competition will be held in May in Vienna, Austria.

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By: Benjamin Lindsay

Israel was cleared by the European Broadcasting Union to enter the music contest on Thursday

Jewish entertainment nonprofit Creative Community for Peace denounced Thursday boycotts against the Eurovision Song Contest from a number of countries, including Ireland and Spain, after Israel was cleared to participate in the 2026 competition.

“The entertainment community is appalled by threats from several countries to withdraw, which would only punish their own citizens and fans of the contest,” a spokesperson for the group said in a statement. “We urge them to reconsider and uphold Eurovision’s core principle: to unite people and the world through a shared love of music.”

The European Broadcasting Union cleared Israel for admittance to the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest on Thursday after meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, and declining to hold an official vote on the matter. Response was swift from Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia, who all stated they would not participate in the 70th edition, citing Israel’s military conflict in Gaza. The competition is scheduled for Vienna, Austria, in May 2026.

“We would like to express our serious doubts about the participation of Israeli broadcaster KAN in Eurovision 2026,” secretary general of Spanish broadcaster RTVE Alfonso Morales said in a statement. “The situation in Gaza, despite the cease-fire and the approval of the peace process, and Israel’s use of the contest for political purposes, make it increasingly difficult to maintain Eurovision as a neutral cultural event.”

Morales acknowledged the European Broadcasting Union’s passage of new competition rules to stop governments of participating nations from influencing Eurovision’s voting process, but emphasized, “We consider these measures insufficient.”

In a statement obtained by the New York Times, Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ said competing alongside Israel was “unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there.”

A union vote on Israel’s participation was initially set in September, but later postponed after Israel and Hamas called a cease-fire in Gaza. The decision came after Israeli participants Eden Golan in 2024 and Yuval Raphael in 2025 have been met with protests at the international competition and harassment on social media.

Creative Community for Peace was among the many Jewish organizations and figures in the entertainment industry to applaud the European Broadcasting Union’s decision.

“The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the majority of its member states made the right decision to maintain Israel’s place in the Eurovision Song Contest and refuse to yield to pressure from the anti-Israel boycott movement,” a spokesperson for the org said, adding that the competition “highlights the unifying power of music and brings people together from all backgrounds.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog also commended the broadcasting group’s decision, stating in a social media post Thursday that “Israel deserves to be represented on every stage around the world.”

Read the Creative Community for Peace statement in full below:

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the majority of its member states made the right decision to maintain Israel’s place in the Eurovision Song Contest and refuse to yield to pressure from the anti-Israel boycott movement.

It is for this reason that more than 400 entertainment leaders, including Helen Mirren, Liev Schreiber, and Boy George, signed Creative Community for Peace’s open letter last year supporting Israel’s continued participation and rejecting efforts to turn Eurovision into a political weapon.

Scooter Braun noted, “Artists should never be discriminated against for who they are, who they love, or where they’re born. These boycott efforts do nothing but distract from the uplifting and unifying power of music—something we need now more than ever.”

Gene Simmons echoed this sentiment, saying, “Music unites people from all backgrounds. It’s the one language that everyone can understand. Those advocating to exclude Israelis from Eurovision don’t move the needle toward peace—they only further divide the world.”

Israel also has a long and celebrated history in Eurovision, which includes winning the Contest in 1978, 1979, 1998, and 2018 and having a diverse group of contestants representing the country, including Palestinians, Ethiopians, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Every year, millions across Europe and around the globe join in this extraordinary celebration of cultural exchange—one that highlights the unifying power of music and brings people together from all backgrounds.

This is why the entertainment community is appalled by threats from several countries to withdraw, which would only punish their own citizens and fans of the Contest.

We urge them to reconsider and uphold Eurovision’s core principle: to unite people and the world through a shared love of music.

Cover photo: Yuval Raphael representing Israel performs for the 69th Eurovision Song Contest on May 17, 2025. (Sebastian Reuter/Getty Images)