Israel could be blocked from ever hosting Eurovision again after rule change

The Eurovision Song Contest has updated its rules to state that a winning country can be disqualified from hosting the contest the next year if “the security, safety or stability of their state or immediate region” is affected by a “sensitive political situation”; a change which could effectively bar Israel from ever hosting the competition again.

The rule amendment, announced by the European Broadcasting Union on Wednesday, said that any winning country would automatically be ineligible to host the next contest if such circumstances or “any other situation materially affects the security, safety or stability of their state or immediate region”.  It said that if necessary, the EBU would commission an independent security assessment of the winner’s region in order to decide whether the location would be deemed safe enough to host the contest the following year.

Under the EBU’s previous rules, the country winning the song contest would automatically assume hosting responsibilities for the competition the following year. However, even then it was understood that a country involved in an ongoing war might not be deemed safe enough to host; while Ukraine won the 2022 contest, an EBU feasibility study concluded that the risks of holding the contest there while the country was experiencing an ongoing invasion by Russia were too great. The UK ultimately hosted the 2023 competition on Ukraine’s behalf.

The official rule shift, however, has been widely interpreted as being aimed at Israel. Last year multiple broadcasters, including Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands, boycotted the competition due to Israel’s presence. Israel has placed second for the last two years due to a high number of votes from the general public – despite another rule change by the EBU last year to decrease the number of times people could vote for any country. The Spanish broadcaster, RTVE, had previously proposed a rule change which would bar any countries involved in an international conflict from taking part in the competition.

Martin Green, director of the contest, said: “The Eurovision Song Contest is constantly evolving, and our annual review of the Rules is an important part of making sure the Contest remains fair, transparent and consistent for all those who participate, including the millions who engage with the event globally. Guided, as always, by feedback from our Members, we have clarified and strengthened several areas for 2027.

“These changes are about giving everyone involved greater clarity, protecting artists and ensuring the Contest continues to provide a safe and welcoming environment, while preserving the spirit and integrity that make the Eurovision Song Contest so special.”

The last time Israel hosted the competition was in 2019, after its representative, Netta Barzilai triumphed in the contest the previous year.  Israel has won the competition four times – in 1978, 1979, 1998 and 2018.