“Our governing bodies … did review the participants list for the 2024 contest and agreed that the Israeli public broadcaster KAN met all the competition rules for this year and can participate, as it has for the past 50 years.”
Sweden wins Eurovision Song Contest with power ballad by Loreen
Sweden wins Eurovision Song Contest with power ballad by Loreen
Israel is to take part in the second semi-final on May 9, from which 10 of the 16 contenders will progress to the grand final on May 11.
Eden Golan, 20, who grew up in Russia, will represent Israel after winning a domestic contest. Her song has yet to be announced.
Israel has qualified for every grand final since 2015.
After the attack, Israel launched a relentless military offensive that has killed at least 28,663 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run Palestinian territory.
[The decision was] based on the rules of the event and the values of the EBU
The decision was “based on the rules of the event and the values of the EBU”, it said.
Curran said it was not the EBU’s place to make comparisons between wars.
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“In the case of Russia, the Russian broadcasters themselves were suspended from the EBU due to their persistent breaches of membership obligations and the violation of public service values,” he said.
“The relationship between KAN and the Israeli government is fundamentally different to the relationship that exists between those Russian members and the state, with the Israeli government in recent years threatening to close down the broadcaster.”
Founded in 1950, the Geneva-based EBU is the world’s biggest public service media alliance. It has 112 member organisations in 56 countries.
Curran said the EBU was acting in line with other international organisations, such as sports federations, which have kept Israel in their competitions.
After victories in 1978 and 1979, Israel won Eurovision for a fourth time in 2018.
Malmo is hosting the 68th edition after Swedish singer Loreen won the 2023 contest in Liverpool with the song “Tattoo”, watched by some 162 million viewers.
The 2024 event coincides with the 50th anniversary of ABBA’s Eurovision victory – Sweden’s first – with their breakthrough hit “Waterloo”.