Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest comes under scrutiny again on Thursday, when members of Europe's broadcasting body may vote on whether it should be excluded from the contest over its conduct in Gaza.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the Eurovision Song Contest, is set to discuss and potentially vote on Israel's participation in the upcoming contest. This follows demands from public broadcasters in Slovenia, Ireland, Spain, and the Netherlands for Israel's exclusion due to its actions in Gaza, with threats of a boycott if their demands are not met.

The EBU will also address new rules aimed at preventing external influence on voting, following controversy over Israel's recent second-place finish. The possibility of a boycott by major broadcasters raises concerns about a significant drop in viewership and sponsorship for the contest, which is watched by about 150 million people annually. Israeli broadcaster Khan maintains it is complying with EBU rules and considers the exclusion debate unjustified.

Eurovision body may vote on excluding Israel in watershed moment

A possible watershed moment for Eurovision on Thursday. Members of the body that organises the song contest may vote on whether Israel can compete next year. Public broadcasters from Slovenia, Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands have called for Israel's exclusion over its actions in Gaza and threatened to boycott Eurovision if it doesn't happen. Jose Pablo Lopez, president of Spain's RTVE, said its position over Israel hadn't changed. Firstly, because of the genocide it has perpetrated in Gaza, as president of the corporation, I keep thinking that Eurovision is a contest. But human rights are not a contest. On Thursday, European Broadcasting Union members will first discuss new rules, designed to prevent governments and third parties from influencing voters. That's after controversy this year over Israel's second-place win. Critics accused Israel of unfairly boosting its entrant Yuval Rafael, a survivor of the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel. Israel's foreign ministry did not respond to Reuters' request for comment. It frequently argues it has faced a global smear campaign. If members aren't convinced the new rules are enough, there will be a vote on participation, the EBU said, without naming Israel specifically. This is Eurovision expert Paul Jordan. I think it probably has to go to a vote because you've got a lot of countries that threaten to withdraw if Israel take part. We've also got other countries that are rumoured to be withdrawing if Israel are forced out. It will be the first time really we've got a serious political issue that's really affected many participating countries. A boycott by some of the competition's biggest European backers, including Spain, risks a major drop in audience numbers and potential sponsorship. The televised contest is watched by about 150 million viewers every year and is meant to be non-political. But Jan Vihar, a member of Slovenia's Eurovision fan club, pointed to a 2021 exclusion of Belarus and to Russia's exclusion after its invasion of Ukraine. And I think there should be rules for everyone and there should be, if that was the case for Russia and Belarus, I think that should be the case for Israel as well. Sources within Israeli broadcaster Khan said it was complying with EBU rules and the discussion about excluding Israel was unjustified.

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