MADRID (Reuters) -Austrian singer JJ, who won this year's Eurovision Song Contest, called in an interview published on Thursday for Israel to be excluded from the 2026 edition in Vienna due to the war in Gaza.

The winner of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest is speaking out against the war in Gaza and Israel's inclusion in the global music event. JJ, who won the competition May 17, said in an interview published Thursday (May 22) that he would like to see Israel banned from next year's contest.

Austria has won the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, the country's first victory since 2014. Opera singer JJ clinched the title with "Wasted Love."