When Søren Torpegaard Lund, Denmark’s 2026 Eurovision contestant, shared a story to his Instagram that showed a laptop decorated with stickers that read, “AM ISRAEL FCKING CHAI” and “FCK HMS,” last week, Israeli Eurovision fans rejoiced over what they interpreted as his solidarity with Israel and his condemnation of the terror group, Hamas, that carried out the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1200 people.
But it turns out that the laptop in the photo, which shows it playing a Disney movie on a bed and surrounded by snacks, was not his, and he apparently had not noticed the stickers when he shared the post.
In a post on his Instagram, he wrote: “I can see that something I shared has created a lot of reactions. That was never my intention. To be completely clear: the computer shown in the story is not mine. I’m a person who meets and works with many different people, and I fundamentally believe in respect, love, and making space for one another. My focus is my music and the sense of community I hope to create through it. That’s what I’m bringing with me to Eurovision. Love, Søren.”
But the Eurovision community reacted quickly to the post, with some voicing support for the Danish artist, and many others condemning him. On the website, Eurovision Fun, Giannis Argyriou wrote, “Although the stickers could also be read simply as opposition to Hamas rather than a clear stance on the Gaza conflict… critics quickly voiced disappointment, with some even calling for his exclusion from the contest, while certain comments escalated into harsh and offensive remarks.”
Even after he deleted the story, according to Argyriou, “Nevertheless, the discussion did not fade, as users continued to share screenshots and debate his position. Some even welcomed the deletion, viewing it as a step back from the implied message… Despite the online controversy, such incidents rarely have a decisive impact on an artist’s trajectory in the competition. Lund remains among the frontrunners for victory and has not expressed opposition to Israel’s participation in the past. In a recent interview with Euromix, he stated that he enjoys this year’s entries, including the Israeli one, and expects a particularly strong edition of the contest.”
Eurovision fans react to the post
One X.com user named Josh spoke for many when he wrote, “According to the comments the laptop belongs to an Israeli friend of his, and the story was deleted due to hate messages, but regardless, looks like we found who to give our 12 points to.”
An Instagram user, Ditte Okman, wrote, “It is beyond weird that we live in a world where it is now controversial to be critical of a terror organisation.”
Some countries participating in Eurovision have called for Israel's exclusion from the competition due to the war against Hamas in Gaza, but the European Broadcasting Authority (EBU), the body that runs Eurovision, declined to put the matter to a vote. Five countries withdrew from Eurovision due to this decision: the Netherlands, Iceland, Ireland, Slovenia, and Spain.
Eurovision 2026 will take place in Vienna in May.