Members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) will meet at present to debate Israel’s involvement in subsequent 12 months’s Eurovision Music Contest.
The assembly at Eurovision’s organisers’ headquarters in Geneva will handle the brand new guidelines supposed to cease governments and third events from disproportionately influencing voting.
Ought to members not be satisfied in regards to the new guidelines, there could also be a vote on Israel’s participation in 2026.
In November, the EBU modified the voting system for the music contest over allegations of “interference” from the Israeli authorities.
That got here after Israeli singer Yuval Raphael acquired the biggest variety of votes from the general public on this 12 months’s contest, in the end ending as runner-up to Austria’s entry after the jury votes had been counted.
After the ultimate in Might, Irish broadcaster RTE requested a breakdown in voting numbers from the EBU, whereas Spain’s public broadcaster, Radio Tv Espanola, known as for a “complete review” of the voting system to keep away from “external interference”.
Dutch public broadcaster AVROTROS added in September that there had been “proven interference by the Israeli government during the last edition of the Song Contest, with the event being used as a political instrument”.
Their assertion didn’t elaborate on the technique of “interference”.
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Israel has not commented on accusations of interference in voting. File pic: AP
Israeli broadcaster nonetheless making ready entry
Israel has not commented on the accusations relating to voting for the competition, which stresses its political neutrality, but it surely has often claimed that it faces a worldwide smear marketing campaign.
KAN, the Israeli public broadcaster, additionally stated it’s making ready for subsequent 12 months’s Eurovision content material.
It added it would current its place on doable disqualification on the assembly.
Boycotts threatened over struggle in Gaza
It comes after Slovenia and broadcasters from Spain, the Netherlands, Eire and Iceland issued statements earlier this 12 months saying they might take into account boycotting the competition subsequent 12 months if Israel was allowed to enter over the struggle in Gaza.
In September, officers from the EBU introduced plans for an emergency vote on Israel’s participation, with president Delphine Ernotte-Cunci saying “given that the union has never faced a divisive situation like this before”. The board agreed it “merited a broader democratic basis for a decision”.
That was then known as off in October after Israel and Hamas agreed to the US-backed peace plan for Gaza.
Greater than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed throughout Israel’s struggle in Gaza, in accordance with the Hamas-run well being ministry.
It was sparked by the 7 October 2023 assault by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel during which 1,200 individuals had been killed and 251 taken hostage to Gaza.
