Stefán Jón Hafstein, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Icelandic broadcaster, has outlined his views on Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Following the release of meeting minutes from the board of RÚV, which show they would support the exclusion of Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest, the Chairman of the Board has outlined in more detail their concerns to the Icelandic newspaper Vísir.
Writing in Vísir, Stefán Jón Hafstein outlines the proposals he believes should be discussed regarding Israel’s participation in the contest. He states:
“The following proposals should be discussed, with all due respect:
Suspend Israel’s 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.
Adhere to human rights standards in Eurovision rules, in the spirit of international sports and politics, and with the example of Russia in mind.”
Of note within the proposals is the suggestion for Israeli artists to compete under a neutral flag. This is something that has never occurred in the history of the contest, with participation always linked to the public broadcaster of the nation they represent.
In addition, the suspension of a country’s participation being tied to an international investigation has not previously occurred. Only three times in the contest’s history has a country been suspended from competing. Yugoslavia, following United Nations sanctions which came into effect on May 30, 1992, Belarus, whose broadcaster’s EBU membership was suspended by the EBU for failing to meet the organisation’s standards, and Russia, which was banned from competing due to the invasion of Ukraine and whose EBU memberships have since been suspended.
The Israeli public broadcaster KAN has stated its intention to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest has been raised as a concern for some member broadcasters of the European Broadcasting Union, with participation having been a heavily discussed topic since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, 2023.
The broadcasters of Slovenia, Spain and Iceland, have all previously expressed concerns regarding Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2025, while RTÉ of Ireland has called for a discussion on the matter. The European Broadcasting Union has committed to a ‘wider discussion’ regarding Israel’s participation in the contest.
Image source: Corinne Cumming/EBU | Source: Vísir
