A week before Yuval Raphael competes in the Eurovision semi-finals in Basel, Ireland has submitted a request to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to hold a discussion regarding Israel’s participation in the contest.
The request comes despite the EBU having repeatedly and officially clarified that Israel meets the criteria for participation, making the likelihood of such a move leading to Israel’s disqualification slim.
The director general of Ireland’s national broadcaster said in his appeal that he is “shocked by the ongoing events in the Middle East, by the terrible impact on civilians in Gaza, and by the fate of the Israeli hostages,” but claimed the broadcaster remains committed to impartial coverage of the war.
“We are also aware of the intense political pressure being placed on Israel’s public broadcaster here by the Israeli government,” he added.
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The call comes after the publication of a letter signed by more than 70 former Eurovision participants urging a boycott of Israel from the competition.
Despite these appeals, Israel continues to rank near the top of betting charts: following Yuval Raphael’s first on-stage rehearsal in Basel, she rose to fourth place in the odds to win. Viewers at home predicted Israel would rank seventh in the jury vote, but betting trends forecast that Israel could place second in the televote.