Eurovision faces major test as countries weigh Israel's participation

By Olivia Le Poidevin

GENEVA, Dec 2 (Reuters) - The Eurovision Song Contest faces a "watershed moment" on Thursday when members of the body that organises the contest may vote on whether Israel can compete in 2026, as some nations threaten to withdraw if it is not excluded due to the Gaza war. 

European Broadcasting Union members will convene to discuss new rules designed to prevent governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to influence voters after controversy this year over Israel's second-place win. 

If members are not convinced the rules are adequate, there will be a vote on participation, the EBU said, without naming Israel specifically.

Public broadcasters from Slovenia, Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands have all threatened to boycott the event, scheduled for May in Austria, if Israel is allowed to take part, citing concern over the Palestinian death toll in Gaza, which has surpassed 70,000, according to Gaza health authorities.

EUROVISION AIMS TO BE NON-POLITICAL

The televised annual celebration of pop music, watched by around 150 million viewers worldwide, aims to be non-political, but the Gaza war has embroiled it in controversy. A boycott by some of the competition's biggest European backers, including Spain, risks a major drop in audience numbers and potential sponsorship.

   This year, critics accused Israel of unfairly boosting the second-place finish of its entrant Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants that triggered the conflict. Israel has not responded to these accusations but frequently argues it has faced a global smear campaign.

"We very much hope the package of measures will assure members that we have taken strong action to protect the neutrality and impartiality of the Song Contest," the EBU said.

Eurovision expert Paul Jordan, who did a PhD on the contest, said it was a "watershed moment" for the competition.

"This is a real crisis point for Eurovision and the EBU... I think it probably has to go to a vote," Jordan said. 

Ben Robertson from fan site ESC Insight noted the potential impact of a loss in audience, but added without Israeli inclusion, Eurovision risks becoming more isolated. 

NORWAY CALLS PROPOSED CHANGES 'PROMISING'

The Israeli foreign ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Luxembourg's RTL broadcaster backed the proposed changes, while Norway's NRK broadcaster described the EBU's signal of major change as "promising".

If a vote against Israel were successful, Germany would probably withdraw and not broadcast the contest, a broadcasting industry source told Reuters. German broadcaster ARD did not comment. Austrian host broadcaster ORF wants Israel to compete.  

Sources within Israeli broadcaster KAN told Reuters it believed discussions about excluding Israel were unjustified, asserting that KAN was in full compliance with EBU rules. It also noted KAN's support for Israeli acts that have delivered what they described as memorable Eurovision performances.

Russia has been excluded from Eurovision since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

(Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin and Cecile Mantovani in Geneva, additional reporting: Charlotte Van Campenhout in Brussels, Emma Pinedo Gonzalez in Madrid, Klaus Lauer in Berlin, Emily Rose in Jerusalem, Daria Sito-Sucic in Sarajevo, Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen in Copenhagen, Gwladys Fouche in Oslo, Borut Zivulovic in Ljubljana and Padraic Halpin in Dublin, Gerhard Mey and Marie-Louise Gumuchian in London; Editing by Sharon Singleton)