The European Broadcasting Union ( EBU) has asked Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE to start a discussion about whether Israel should compete in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest because of its involvement in the Gaza conflict.
RTVE stated in a statement on Friday that it had written to the EBU, the organization of the competition, to raise the matter of Israel’s contribution through its open broadcaster KAN, according to AFP.
The EBU responded by saying it appreciated the “deeply held sights” surrounding the Middle East conflict but that all of its member commentators are still eligible to compete. It stated that it was in conversations with all of the participating commentators, including RTVE.
One of the most popular tv shows in the world, Eurovision, features countries from Europe to Australia. The semi-finals and ultimate are scheduled for May 13 and 15, and the challenge will take place in Basel, Switzerland this year. Israel won’t have a competitor at this year’s function if KAN is excluded.
Israel’s involvement in the previous year’s Swedish competition was met with protests from thousands. Yuval Raphael, a veteran of the Hamas-led assault on the Nova audio event, may be represented this year, according to The Times of Israel.
Different nations have also requested that Israel be removed from the challenge in response to requests from other countries, including Finland. More than 10,000 members of the public signed one.
Israel has won Eurovision four occasions, most recently in 2018.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas insurgents carried out an assault in Israel that left about 1,200 people dead. Israel responded by staging a military operation in Gaza, where almost 51 000 people have died, according to local authorities.
Spain’s position on Eurovision and Pedro Sánchez, the country’s prime minister, recently visiting China are its two new movements at odds with the US. With a staggering 145 percentage tax, Washington has also been escalating trade hostilities with China. China retaliated by imposing 125 percent tariffs on British goods.
