Eurovision Israel

[Daysgo]

Think Spain, Norway, Ireland etc are right to not take part in Eurovision as Israel are allowed to take part . Russia was banned due to murdering innocent civilians in Ukraine. But apparently it's ok for Israel to do the same and murder Palestinian children... I do not know what kind of world we are living in

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I should add the points about how Israel approached the show since 2023

The tone was set in the audition process for the 2024 show with the very first contestant wearing army fatigues. For a contest about peace this was viewed as instantly provocative by many. It's not hard to see why this immediately stirred the pot.

The eventual winner then had to change the song name and lyrics from October Rain to something else but the lyrics were still obviously about the attack.

Then you have Israel's 2025 artist who started singing professionally in 2024 and had done a speech to the (UNHRC) in March 2024 about what she'd personally witnessed.

It's almost deliberately provocative for publicity and the way the Israeli government has been involved and to the degree it's openly been involved and has tried to suppress the free speech about the conflict is actually really alarming.

I believe that the Spanish broadcaster's withdrawal is in part about the repression of Spanish journalists by the Israel (and standing in solidarity with them) as much as it is about Gaza and the contest itself. There's also real concerns about the independence of the Israeli broadcaster. To be eligible for the contest under EBU rules the host broadcaster must have certain standards of support for free speech and support for democracy.

See this article published in Israel this week:
www.timesofisrael.com/the-next-threat-to-israel-at-eurovision-is-coming-from-inside-the-house/amp/

In order to maintain EBU membership, Israel must have a functioning, independent public broadcaster that provides both news and entertainment programming. And there’s the rub.

For a number of years, allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been making efforts to shut down or gut Israel’s public broadcaster beyond recognition. Such a move would make Israel ineligible to be an EBU member and end its 53-year run in the Eurovision.

While the government has not been successful so far in that goal, it took a sharp step forward this week with the establishment of an ad hoc committee designed to push through media reform legislation by circumventing the permanent committee that has stymied it.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi – a member of Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party – has, since taking office in late 2022, made no secret of his desire to completely shut down Kan.

There's actually an argument to be made here - which actually is an important one, that in someways, Israel's participation in Eurovision is important to protect Israel's independent public broadcasting which is actually a large part of the Eurovision ideal and promotion of democracy. Kicking Israel would serve to jeopardise this.

Having said this there's a whole beef about the Israeli broadcaster still with comments about certain artists during the live broadcast if they were saying things that weren't on script about Israel. Which IS against EBU rules.

There are actually a shit load of layers to this and lots the EBU COULD and SHOULD have done to minimise some of these - which potentially would have allowed Israel to compete in a way where it hasn't spiralled in this manner and there's be more legitimate argument about 'this is just a song contest and we are about promoting peace and democracy' (which would have backed up their controversial decision to kick Russia and support Ukraine too).

Instead its like they've done pretty much everything possible that would make the situation worse in many ways instead.

I actually think the story to watch here, isn't who withdraws from the contest. It's about those reform of the broadcaster in Israel - and how much more happens before now and May with regards to that.

I still don’t get why Israel is in Eurovision. (From a perspective of geography.)

Because it's not about Europe! It's about an organisation known as the EBU which is about public service broadcasting and it's traditions. (Noting that public service broadcasting doesn't have the same level of significance and historical importance in North America broadcasting compared to Europe).

The European Broadcasting Union is an alliance of public service media organisations in countries within the European Broadcasting Area (EBA) or who are members of the Council of Europe. As of 2024, it is made up of 123 member organisations from 56 countries, and 31 associate members from a further 20 countries.

EBU members are public service media (PSM) broadcasters established by law but are non-partisan, independent, and run for the benefit of society as a whole.

EBU members come from as far north as Iceland and as far south as Algeria, from Portugal in the west to Azerbaijan in the east, and almost every nation from geographical Europe in between. Associate members from the United States include ABC, CBS, NBC, CPB, NPR, APM, and the only individual station, Chicago-based classical music radio WFMT.

Membership is for media organisations in countries within the European Broadcasting Area (EBA), as defined by the International Telecommunication Union, or who are members of the Council of Europe.

Members benefit from:

Access to content ranging from exclusive sports rights to exchanges for news, music, and children's programmes.
Representatives in Brussels, and in other international arenas, lobbying for PSM and ensuring the optimal legal and technical framework for broadcasters.
Opportunities for sharing, learning and collaborating through conferences, working groups, training, and dedicated advice and guidance.
A centre for learning and sharing new technology and innovation with a team of experts providing strategic advice and guidance.

It's an organisation that basically helps these broadcasters work together for certain things for mutual benefits.

Israel started participating in Eurovision in 1973, before most of the people who protest against their involvement were born. And IMO their very first entry changed the competition for the better.

If Israel goes ahead, then why not bring back Russia?...to fully reveal the farce it has become.

O…k….?

It has always been a farce, it's a singing competition for lo-fi amateurs, people used to watch it out of derision.

But it was indeed created with the idea to gather people from all cultures, beyond politics and good taste. Respect to that.

That the current generation of fans has decided it has become a cultural milestone (?) and that the organisation must contravene its own principles of tolerance and inclusion to suit their sensitivities only reflects the sheer ignorance and arrogance of the mob.

The idea it has any political impact is also ridiculous and shows the delusion and self-aggrandisement. It would be funny if this hatred was not sad to watch.

The world HAMAS created on October 7th.

If it's not about music, wouldn't it be better just to stop the contest?

Up to people who they want in Eurovision, but I'm surprised to see multiple posters thinking Amnesty International have any credibility at all in 2025. That's long gone!

Israel could sing Hickory Dickory Dock and I’m still going to have their voting on speed dial.

Let's just cut the crap then and make them the only entrant.

Can't conflate the murderous actions of a madman with singers who just want to show their talent on the world stage ?

It's only what a big chunk of the viewing audience in every country do - the diaspora vote, the love-in between Cyprus and Greece etc. That's Eurovision.

I find it ironic how the same people who are so loud about the innocent Gazans dying, can in the same breath damn all Israelis (actually, usually it's all Jews except for the 'good' ones, ie the anti-zionist Jews).

Either civilians are guilty by association or they're not, make up your mind.

It didn't start on Oct 7. Hamas and other evil actors have been firing rockets at Israel, trying to murder as many civilians as possible, since 2007.

In addition to other Palestinian terrorists blowing up innocent Israeli children in buses and cafes, stabbing innocent Israeli children, mowing down innocent Israeli children, slaughtering innocent Israeli families in their beds and worse, at least since the first intifada.

It started long before Oct 7.

The UN and Amnesty? Did you type that with a straight face?

There’s no comparison between Russia and Israel.

For the hard of thinking: Russia invaded Ukraine.

The Eurovision Fanclub has to shut down its own Facebook groups because of all the dickheads fighting on it being impossible to moderate.

Every thread on the subject goes the same way.

It's utter bullshit and the people saying they want justice / peace etc are actually the ones who are creating the shit. They are part of the problem.

Why?

Because you stop talking and you stop listening when you are in that state.

The situation with Eurovision is deeply complex. Few people actually know the situation and fewer are interested in finding out. I would argue that the majority of Eurovision fans who go to the shows etc sit firmly in the middle and want an adequate resolution for all parties which results in a lasting peace. They don't participate in these conversations because they know damn well the dickheads will start on them too. Even those they are effectively trying to peace make and want peace. They just get screamed in the face in a manner of "don't you care about x? Blah blah blah".

It helps precisely no one. It certainly doesn't help children in Gaza have a future. Nor does it offer long term security for children in Israel. It just feeds on itself in a never ending cycle.

The whole point of Eurovision is to bring people together and to keep them talking and to promote democratic debate. If you want a big difference between Russia and Israel in this sense, the second Russia invaded laws were passed to say you couldn't call it a war, it was a special operation and there was no dissent. This meant that the Russian broadcaster automatically couldn't possibly meet the EBU over free speech and reporting. In Israel the situation is different. Criticism does still exist internally. It is in the Israeli press. Many do oppose Netanyhu. And for this reason alone, there is a massive argument to keep Israel in Eurovision to support the broadcaster at a time when Netanyhus government is starting to try and shut that down. Internal disagreement about the war is much more important and powerful than anything anyone outside says, on many levels. If you support Gaza and can't wrap your head around this, then you are a bloody idiot or you just want the complete destruction of Israel and that's not ok either.

If you take that as your legitimate starting point to a tool to aid a pathway to peace, then keeping Israel in, whilst booting Russia is fair and a legitimate aim.

The problem is when you unpick what the EBU have done there's a whole saga in its own right which is enough to ask big questions. If keeping Israel in for these reasons is in the ethos of the EBU then they've failed to do it well and they've failed to protect others during this process. And they've become unwittingly fools aiding the exact opposite.

This doesn't mean they just kick them. It just means they need to have an honest conversation about this and what they are trying to achieve and how.

They have to do better otherwise it will continue to tear the competition apart.

What doesn't fill me with confidence is when you get dickhead come on these threads and openly say 'i don't care about any of the songs I'm just going to rig the voting'. That makes you an arsehole who deliberately misses the point and has no interest in peace.

There will be no peace for anyone in the middle east whilst attitudes like that persist because they've switched off from everything and everyone else. They are right and no one else matters.

Well folks that's not helpful and will only led to centuries more of this shit and thousands upon thousands more children being fucked in the process through this arrogance. No one seems to actually have a clue in practical terms. Plenty of ideologically driven ideas about good v evil etc but no practical offering into how you might bring change in a way that remotely reflects reality and understands that peace involves people talking to each other and democratic process challenging leaders who act in ways which are monstrous. There are no alternatives to this process other than complete annihilation of one party. Every other peace, ever has come from the same pattern whereby eventually internally someone says enough is enough through talking.

Honestly if you don't understand this, then you are supporting the total destruction of 'the other side' and I recognise you for what you are and what you want. I am not alone in this. I have no time for either party that engages in this.

Conflating taking a morale stand on stuff like, you know...genocide, gets dismissed as hatred. Theres something not quite right about that isnt there?
One wonders if its not just another misinformation/hearts and minds propaganda operation coming out of the IDF offices.

What I don’t understand is where all the money goes.

The hosting country has to pay all the hosting costs. The participating countries have to pay an entrance fee and the costs of all their staging. I believe counties also have to pay for the rights to broadcast it. The big 5 put money in and there’s the sponsorship from Moroccanoil. Then the money from all the phone votes. So what are the EBU paying for? It’s all streams of money in and none going out from what I can see. I would be interested if anyone can explain that to me.

We were in Basel last year. We were at the semi where Israel got booed but other than that, on a surface level at least, there wasn’t any major tension.

DD is the big Eurovision fan in the family (I went with her to Basel). She’s loved it for about 25 years and knows a lot about it. For the time first time ever she won’t be watching. Not because of Israel participating as such. But because the whole thing has become quite tainted and everything’s that’s been building up over the past couple of years and continuing next year has ruined the spirit of it for her.

I wonder who the UK act will be.

And will the act (and song) be ‘anointed’ or voted on by the public?

Mind you, anointed or elected, the UK will always remain the nation who failed to select Justin Hawkins and instead sent Scooch.

Time for Eurovision to end. This crap song contest full of crap performers has always taken itself way too seriously. I can't believe posters are writing essays about the whys and wherefores.

Sing a song or don't. We should not reduce the seriousness of conflicts to discussions about this stupid show.

What next, someone abstains from Strictly because of another contestant's nationality?!