Israel set to pull out of live Eurovision show after diplomats go on strike
Broadcaster Kan says an Israeli foreign ministry strike means Michael Ben David may not appear on stage at next month's contest
The Israeli delegation will no longer attend the Eurovision Song Contest in Italy, its national broadcaster has announced.
Kan said a strike at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Israel had affected its “security protocols”.
Michael Ben David is due to represent the country with the song IM after winning the Israeli version of the X Factor.
However, the announcement throws his performance into doubt.
Kan did not confirm whether the singer will compete using a pre-recorded performance aired during the contest.
A tweet from the broadcaster said: “As of now, due to the Ministry of Foreign affairs strike, that affects the security protocols, the Israeli delegation will not attend the Eurovision in Turin.”
As of now, due to the Ministry of Foreign affairs strike, that affects the security protocols, the Israeli delegation will not attend the Eurovision in Turin.
— KAN Eurovision Israel (@kaneurovision) April 12, 2022
A statement from Eurovision said: “We are aware of the statement made by KAN this morning and are in dialogue with them about Israel’s continued participation in this year’s event.”
Russia has been banned from competing at this year’s contest following the invasion of Ukraine.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which produces the event, said the inclusion of a Russian entry at the contest in May would bring the event into “disrepute”.
The union had previously said it intended to allow Russia to compete but faced strong criticism from state broadcasters in countries including Iceland, Finland, Norway and the Netherlands.
The 2021 competition was held in Rotterdam, Netherlands, after the show was cancelled in 2020, and won by Italy’s rock band Maneskin with their song Zitti E Buoni.
The UK was handed a crushing defeat as singer James Newman was the only entrant to score zero points from both the jury and public vote, coming bottom of the leaderboard.
The Eurovision grand final will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer and on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds from 8pm on May 14.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
