The EBU will discuss a call from Iceland’s public broadcaster to ban Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest in its upcoming meeting of the EBU General Assembly in London.
Israeli artists performing in Eurovision should only be allowed to perform under a “neutral flag,” the president of Iceland’s national broadcaster RÚV suggested on Tuesday.
Writing in Icelandic newspaper Visir, Stefán Jón Hafstein called on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to review his proposals regarding Israel’s inclusion in future Eurovision events, which includes the option of suspending Israeli participation “until international investigations are available with conclusive results.”
“At most, independent Israeli artists are allowed to compete under a neutral flag provided they declare support for Eurovision’s core values, including human rights for all,” Hafstein wrote.
A person holds an Israeli flag during the second semi-final of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, May 15, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/DENIS BALIBOUSE)
Will Israel be kicked out of the Eurovision Song Contest?
The EBU will discuss a call from Iceland’s public broadcaster to ban Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest in its upcoming meeting of the EBU General Assembly in London on Thursday and Friday.
Prior to this year’s Eurovision competition in May, where Israel’s song, “New Day Will Rise,” performed by Yuval Raphael, came in first in the popular voting and second overall, there were calls from artists and broadcasting authorities throughout Europe to ban Israel’s participation due to the war in Gaza.
Calls to ban Israel came recently from Eurovision contestants from this year and previous years, including this year’s winner, JJ from Austria.
The EBU has consistently said it will not ban Israel, as Eurovision is a contest between broadcasting authorities rather than governments, and that KAN, Israel’s state broadcaster, has not broken any Eurovision rules.
Hannah Brown contributed to this report.
