Eurovision Scandal: EBU Accused of Saying «Genocide Is OK» If Israel Does It!

Eurovision Storm as EBU Drops Vote on Israel Amid Claims of Turning a Blind Eye

The European Broadcasting Union has sparked fury after deciding not to hold a member vote on Israel’s participation in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, prompting furious accusations that the organisation is ignoring serious human-rights concerns.

The EBU says it has been consulting member broadcasters ahead of its general assembly on 5 December 2025 and that a majority of members did not want a formal vote on Israel’s entry, NRK reports. The changes to the contest’s rules on state influence and voting will be unveiled at the assembly, and at present Norwegian broadcaster NRK says it is satisfied with the outcome.

Critics Say Silence Is Complicity

The Palestine Committee in Norway has reacted angrily, demanding Norway pull out of the contest if Israel is allowed to compete. Line Khateeb, the committee’s chair, accused the EBU of removing the vote to avoid consequences for a country that, she says, has used Eurovision to polish its international image. Her words have fuelled tabloid outrage and renewed calls for broadcasters across Europe to take a stand.

Rule Changes Won’t Calm the Row

The EBU has announced a broader overhaul of Eurovision’s voting and promotion rules aimed at strengthening trust and preventing misuse of the contest — including tighter limits on promotion, halving the public voting cap, and reintroducing professional juries into the semi-finals to balance televote influence. Organisers insist the contest must remain a neutral space and be protected from being instrumentalised.

Member States Split and Boycott Threats Loom

Broadcasters in several countries have reportedly threatened to boycott unless Israel is excluded, and the controversy has driven intense scrutiny of public voting mechanisms after disputes over results earlier this year. The EBU says it has strengthened technical safeguards to detect and block coordinated or fraudulent voting activity and will enforce rules more strictly.

What Happens Next

The EBU’s general assembly on 5 December will ratify the new rules and formally set out how participation decisions are handled — but for many critics the absence of a direct vote is already being read as a political choice. The row shows no sign of cooling and places broadcasters in a fraught position: back Eurovision’s principle of neutrality, or heed demands that moral considerations outweigh a song contest’s traditional rules.

EBU didn’t listen, they have always been on the side of genocide nation Israel!