Nooshi Dadgostar, who first spoke to Aftonbladet about the party's stance, believes that Israeli participation in the music competition should be stopped because of the situation in the Gaza Strip.
"This is not about doing politics. It's about not giving normality to the situation we see, says the Left Party leader to SVT News.
Compare with Russia: "Investigated for war crimes"
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) decides which countries are eligible to participate in the competition. In 2022, they expelled Russia, following protests from SVT along with other television companies.
"There are big differences between Russia and Israel in what the conflict looks like and what kind of countries they are," says Dadgostar and continues:
"What they have in common is that they are both being investigated for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
South Africa believes that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and has reported the country to the International Court of Justice. Right now, the trial is ongoing.
"We can see every day that the situation in the Gaza Strip is terrible. To have a stage for such a state in the midst of the hustle and bustle of joy, music, community and entertainment – that's not dignified, and it's not appropriate," says Dadgostar.
Do you have support among the other parties in the Riksdag?
"Yes, but I hope so.
Moderates: "Cheap domestic political points"
Mattias Karlsson, group leader of the Moderate Party, believes that Dadgostar's move is about "picking cheap domestic political points and satisfying internal critics":
"Nooshi Dadgostar has repeatedly been criticized in very harsh terms in his own ranks. I guess she gets nervous when the members call her a coward and demand her resignation. This move is an attempt to appease forces that she should not concern herself with – at least not if she wants to be a decent politician," he writes to SVT.
The Green Party writes in a response that the party "has not taken a position". The Social Democrats declined to comment.