Just a bump in the road for Izabo

Eurovision song entry is leaked on Youtube, but the band will still represent Israel in the long-running musical competition

A song by the rock band Izabo, which is to represent Israel in the upcoming Eurovision contest, was leaked to Youtube on Monday in violation of the contest’s rules, Haaretz reported.

Although the song, “Time,” was taken down almost immediately, it could have been previously copied and shared. Eurovision contest rules prohibit the pre-release of song entries. An Israel Broadcasting Authority official downplayed the matter, saying the released song was not the final version to be presented at Eurovision and thus there was no danger of disqualification.

The Eurovision song contest was first broadcast on live television in 1956 and has been shown annually since then. While largely unknown to North American audiences, it remains an extremely popular European TV event and winners often go on to successful entertainment careers.

Israel first participated in Eurovision in 1973 and won in 1979 (when the competition was in Jerusalem) and in 1978. The contest returned to national consciousness after Dana International won in 1998.