The participation of Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest has sparked controversy due to the ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip, with several countries threatening to withdraw from the competition if the Middle Eastern country is not expelled. But why does Israel participate in a European contest?
According to the festival’s rules, all active members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) can participate. To be an active member, certain requirements must be met, including being part of the European Broadcasting Area.
This area includes Europe, parts of the Middle East and North Africa, and even countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Therefore, countries like Israel, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia are permitted to be part of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Israel is considered an active EBU member through its public broadcaster, currently KAN. The Middle Eastern country first participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 and has won the competition four times: in 1978, 1979, 1998, and 2018.
You can recall all of Israel’s Eurovision participations in the video below:
EBU Did Not Expel Israel, but Expelled Russia in 2022. What’s the Difference?
The criticism over Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest intensified in December 2023, months after the attack by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which triggered the latest conflict in the Gaza Strip.
The announcement that Israel would be among the participating countries in 2024 drew criticism, with Eurovision’s official X account (formerly known as Twitter) flooded with comments from fans accusing the event’s organization of “double standards” in participation, reminding that Russia was expelled a day after the invasion of Ukraine.
However, at the time, the organization clarified that “the Eurovision Song Contest is a competition for public broadcasters across Europe and the Middle East”.
“It is a competition for broadcasters – not governments – and the Israeli public broadcaster has been participating in the contest for 50 years”, it reiterated.
When asked about the fact that Russia was expelled from the festival in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine, the EBU explained that the country led by Vladimir Putin violated its “obligations” as a member and breached “the values of public service media”.
The EBU’s stance on Israel’s participation has remained consistent over the past two years, and recently, the festival’s director, Martin Green, argued that Eurovision “should not be used as a springboard for political sanctions”.
The statements came after the Spanish broadcaster RTVE called for “opening a debate” on the participation of the Israeli broadcaster KAN in the festival due to “very deep concerns and opinions about the current conflict in the Middle East”.
“Events like Eurovision aim to remind the world of the best it can be. What matters is what unites us, not what divides us”, he stated.
Like the EBU, Martin Green affirmed that “Eurovision is a competition among public broadcasting organizations, not between nations”, and therefore, “should not be used as a springboard for political sanctions”.
While acknowledging that “there are very deep concerns and opinions about the current conflict in the Middle East”, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) reiterated that the contest is intended for “all members”.
Notícias ao Minuto | 17:51 – 14/04/2025
Several Countries Threaten to Exit Eurovision if Israel Participates
In recent days, Ireland and the Netherlands joined Slovenia, Iceland, and Spain in calls for the EBU to expel the Middle Eastern country due to the offensive in the Gaza Strip.
However, Martin Green stated in a communication to the news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) that he understands the “concerns and deeply rooted opinions around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East”.
Nonetheless, he emphasized that “broadcasters have until mid-December to confirm whether they wish to participate in next year’s event in Vienna”, and that “it is up to each member to decide if they want to participate”.
Countries like Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland, and Spain have already confirmed or threatened not to participate in the next edition of Eurovision in Austria should Israel not be expelled due to the offensive in Gaza.
Márcia Guímaro Rodrigues | 18:04 – 12/09/2025
It should be noted that in this year’s edition, Israel was close to surpassing Austria in the Eurovision final, which won at the last moments. Austria, with JJ and ‘Wasted Love’, received a total of 436 points: 258 from the jury and 178 from the public. Meanwhile, Israel, with Yuval Raphael and ‘New Day Will Rise’, accumulated 357, distributed between 60 from the jury and 297 from the public.
Read Also: Spain Leaves Eurovision? “We Cannot Normalize Israel’s Participation”
