Madrid (AFP) – Spain’s public broadcaster said on Friday it has called for a “debate” over Israel’s participation in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland due to “concerns” over the situation in war-torn Gaza.
RTVE has sent a letter to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which manages the event, “requesting a debate on the participation of Israeli public television (KAN)” in the contest, the Spanish public broadcaster said in a statement.
The Swiss city of Basel will host the glitzy annual extravaganza – one of the world’s biggest live television events which involves countries from Europe to Australia – at the St. Jakobshalle indoor arena, with the semi-finals on May 13 and 15, and the final on May 17.
Public broadcasters of participating nations select the candidate which will represent them, so the absence of KAN would mean there is no Israeli performer at this year’s event.
RTVE said it “reiterates its support” for Eurovision “but also acknowledges the concerns that the situation in Gaza and the participation of KAN public television are raising within Spanish civil society”.
“It would be appropriate for the EBU to recognise the existence of this debate and provide a forum for discussion between EBU member broadcasters on the participation of Israeli public television,” the statement added.
~The same reason Australia got there: It’s a settler colony built by Europeans that culturally has little in common with its neighbors. Israel also has the factor of being hated by all its neighbors for obvious reasons that westerners until recently have been able to ignore.~
Edit: Completely wrong, see below.
Not quite; the whole mediterranean region is allowed to compete, because it lies in the European broadcasting area. The Arab countries usually boycot the contest, because of Israel’s participation.
That makes sense.