Eurovision gathering on Thursday could see vote on Israel’s participation

European Broadcasting Union members may vote on Thursday on whether Israel can compete in the Eurovision song contest next year, as some nations have threatened to withdraw if it is not excluded due to the Gaza war.

Members will convene to discuss new rules designed to prevent governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to influence voters, after controversy this year over Israel’s second-place finish.

If members are not convinced the rules are adequate, there will be a vote on participation, the EBU says, without naming Israel specifically.

Public broadcasters from Slovenia, Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands have all threatened to boycott the event, scheduled for May in Austria, if Israel is allowed to take part. A boycott by some of the competition’s biggest European backers, including Spain, risks a major drop in audience numbers and potential sponsorship.

This year, critics accused Israel of unfairly boosting the second-place finish of its entrant Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas that triggered the conflict. Israel has not officially responded to these accusations but frequently argues it has faced a global smear campaign.

“We very much hope the package of measures will assure members that we have taken strong action to protect the neutrality and impartiality of the Song Contest,” the EBU says.

The Israeli foreign ministry does not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Luxembourg’s RTL broadcaster backs the proposed changes, while Norway’s NRK broadcaster describes the EBU’s signal of major change as “promising.”

If a vote against Israel were successful, Germany would probably withdraw and not broadcast the contest, a broadcasting industry source tells Reuters. German broadcaster ARD does not comment. Austrian host broadcaster ORF wants Israel to compete.

Sources within Israeli broadcaster Kan tell Reuters it believed discussions about excluding Israel were unjustified, asserting that KAN was in full compliance with EBU rules. It also noted Kan’s support for Israeli acts that have delivered what they described as memorable Eurovision performances.