The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) on Friday appeared to reject a call from Spain to hold an open debate on Israel’s participation in this Eurovision song contest amid the ongoing Gaza war.
Earlier in the day, the president of Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE sent a letter to the director general of the EBU urging the step. Several hours later, the EBU issued a brief statement in response.
The statement noted the EBU’s “appreciation [that] there are concerns and deeply held views around the current conflict in the Middle East.”
However, it asserted that all EBU members are eligible to compete in Eurovision. The statement did not name Israel, but the latter’s Kan public broadcaster is a member of the EBU.
In an apparent effort to assuage RTVE over the decision not to rule in its favor, EBU added that it remains in “constant contact” with the Spanish broadcaster and all other members regarding all aspects of the May singing competition.
In an earlier statement from RTVE summarizing its president’s letter to EBU, the Spanish broadcaster “acknowledge[d] the concerns raised by various civil society groups in Spain regarding the situation in Gaza and the participation of the public television station Kan in the competition.”
“RTVE believes it would be appropriate for the EBU to recognize the existence of this debate and facilitate a space for reflection among EBU member broadcasters on the participation of Israeli public television station Kan,” the statement added.
Yuval Raphael, who survived Hamas’s massacre of the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, will perform a song titled “New Day Will Rise” on behalf of Kan and Israel.
Public broadcasters of participating nations select the candidate who will represent them, so the absence of Kan would have meant there would be no Israeli performer at this year’s event.
The Swiss city of Basel will host the glitzy annual extravaganza — one of the world’s biggest live television events, which involves countries from Europe to Australia — at the St. Jakobshalle indoor arena, with the semi-finals on May 13 and 15, and the final on May 17.
Spain has been one of the more vocal European countries criticizing the IDF’s war in Gaza, which was sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught in southern Israel. Last year, it formally recognized a Palestinian state, in a move Israel says is a reward for terrorism.
Thousands protested at last year’s contest in the Swedish city of Malmo over Israel’s participation against the backdrop of the war between Israel and the Hamas terror group in Gaza.
Israeli competitor Eden Golan had to change her lyrics over apparent references to the deadly Hamas assault. She finished fifth in the competition.
When terrorists killed more than 370 people at the Nova music festival, Raphael survived by hiding under a pile of bodies. She said she would be ready to face the kind of hostility Golan did.
Finland’s public broadcaster Yle received two petitions last month demanding it push for Israel to be banned from the contest due to the war in Gaza.
One was signed by more than 500 music and culture industry professionals, while a public petition was signed by over 10,000 people.
Israel has won the contest four times, most recently in Lisbon in 2018.
Some 1,200 people were killed during Hamas’s October 7 attack, and 251 were taken hostage in Gaza.
Over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s counter-offensive, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants and whose figures have not been verified.