Polish Eurovision Star Justyna Steczkowska Shares Anti-Israel Book With Hundreds of Thousands

Justyna Steczkowska, a Polish singer and songwriter who represented Poland twice at Eurovision (1995 and 2025), publicly promoted an anti-Israel book on her Instagram account, reaching around 400,000 followers. The book, titled The Palestine Laboratory by Jewish-Australian author Anthony Loewenstein, alleges that Israel uses Palestinians as "testing grounds" for weapons, cyber warfare, and surveillance technologies. Steczkowska urged her followers to read the book to "open their eyes" to the complex realities of the world and to understand the situation better.

The book, which won the 2023 Walkley Award for journalism and was adapted into a documentary series on Al Jazeera, claims Israel’s long-term control over the West Bank and Gaza serves to develop and market military and cyber technologies tested on Palestinians before being sold globally as "battle-tested." It also criticizes Israel’s security and political alliances with over 130 countries, including historical ties to apartheid South Africa and Pinochet’s Chile, as well as current relations with India and Myanmar’s military junta. Loewenstein argues that Israel’s arms exports help secure diplomatic immunity from international criticism.

Steczkowska’s promotion of the book aligns with her previous public stance, in which she declared she would not return to Eurovision as long as Israel participates in the contest. The singer’s anti-Israel position has been consistent and publicly known.

The controversy highlights ongoing tensions surrounding Israel’s policies and international cultural events like Eurovision, where political statements often intersect with entertainment.