Eurovision: organisers confirm Israel’s participation

Milan, 4 December (LaPresse/Ap) – The organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest have decided that Israel will be allowed to participate in the next edition of the music competition. The decision came at the end of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) general assembly, which was convened after some countries called for Israel’s exclusion due to alleged interference in the contest’s voting and its conduct in the war in Gaza. The members of the EBU, which organises Eurovision, voted to adopt stricter voting rules in response to allegations that Israel manipulated the vote in favour of its contestant. This effectively allows the Israeli artist to participate. The contest, whose 70th edition is scheduled to take place in Vienna in May, pits artists from dozens of countries against each other for the continent’s musical crown. It aims to put pop before politics, but has repeatedly been embroiled in world events. Russia was expelled in 2022 after its large-scale invasion of Ukraine.