Will Israel be competing in Eurovision 2025 and what has Ireland said?

In the build-up to this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, there has been plenty of controversy over Israel’s inclusion the annual festivities. Despite calls for a boycott, Israel is taking currently set to take part in this year’s competition.

The nation will be represented by Yuval Raphael who will be performing her song ‘New Day Will Rise’. However, fans from across the globe have been calling for Israel and the country’s national broadcaster KAN to be banned over the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Ireland’s public broadcaster RTÉ has asked the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for a discussion on Israel’s inclusion in the Eurovision Song Contest.

The company’s director general, Kevin Bakhurst, said he was “appalled by the ongoing events in the Middle East and by the horrific impact on civilians in Gaza, and the fate of Israeli hostages”.

It comes after the director of the Eurovision Song Contest said no participating EBU member had publicly opposed Israeli broadcast Kan’s participation.

The contest, which is hosted by the EBU, is set to begin on May 13 in Switzerland with the final taking place on May 17. My Bakhurst said RTÉ wanted a discussion “notwithstanding the fact that the criterion from participating” is membership of EBU.

He added that he was mindful “of the need to maintain RTÉ’s objectivity in covering the war in Gaza”, as well as “severe political pressure” on Israel’s public service broadcaster Kan from the Israeli government.

More than 70 former Eurovision contestants, including Ireland’s 1994 winner Charlie McGettigan, signed a letter urging organisers to ban Israel and Kan from the event.

Members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) at RTÉ had also proposed the broadcaster to oppose Israel’s participation in a letter. Last Wednesday (May 7) Emma O’Kelly of the NUJ appeared on BBC Radio Ulster’s Evening Extra programme where she welcomed Mr Bakhurt’s statement and agreed that it was important to take a stand.

She said: “We believe this is RTÉ listening to its staff, but more importantly, listening to public sentiment here in Ireland, which is just outrage at Israel’s actions in Gaza.

“We collectively – the NUJ and RTÉ – don’t believe Israel should be afforded what is a massive cultural platform. The Eurovision is literally the international stage. We don’t believe that the EBU should be giving a country such as this a platform.”

Ms O’Kelly said this move is “only about Israel’s actions in Gaza” and added that there is “precedent for this”, citing Russia being unable to participate in the competition from 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine.

In a statement, Eurovision director Martin Green said: "No participating EBU member broadcaster, who have all been widely consulted, has 'publicly opposed' Israeli broadcaster Kan's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest - despite the claims in another letter from RTÉ journalists.

"The broadcasters mentioned in the letter, RTVE in Spain and RTVSLO in Slovenia, requested a discussion and RÚV in Iceland has informed us of their foreign minister's comments on Kan's participation."

Mr Green said the organisers of the song contest "understand the concerns and deeply held views around the current conflict in the Middle East." He added that EBU was not "immune to global events" but members together should ensure the event remains a "universal event that promores connections, diversity, and inclusion through music."

Yuvla Raphael, who is representing Israel at Eurovision, is a survivor of the 7 October, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. She was at the Nova music festival when Hamas attacked and killed 360 partygoers and took 40 more hostage.

Last year, Eden Golan was booed whilst performing at a dress rehearsal for the singing competition, which took place in malmo, Sweden. She was confined to her hotel room when she wasn't performing, due to threats of harm to the Israeli delegation.

In a recent interview Raphael has revealed that she has been practicing performing on stage with distractions, including booing, in the run-up to the finale.

Speaking about the possibilty of booing during her performace to the BBC, she said: "I think I'm expecting it, but we're here to sing and I'm going to sing my heart out to everyone. I had a few rehearsals where we put sounds [in], so I can practice when there are distractions in the background."