One of the favorites again this year: Israel continues to do well at the ESC.Image: keystone
ESC
May 16, 2026, 5:39 p.mMay 16, 2026, 5:39 p.m
Russia has been waging a bloody war of aggression in Ukraine for years. Israel is also facing a similar accusation in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. Why has one country been excluded from the Eurovision Song Contest for years and the other is still allowed to take part?
Destruction and suffering in the Gaza Strip.Image: keystone
This question is once again hotly debated with Israel’s qualification for the final. The reasoning is pretty simple: Russia was suspended not because of the war, but for another reason. This statement was made by the Director General of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Noel Curran, the Norwegian Daily newspaper “Dagsavisen” given in 2024:
«The Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political musical event and a competition between public broadcasters that are members of the EBU. This is not a competition between governments.”
Curran understands that the images from the Gaza Strip are shocking and expresses his condolences to the people suffering from the war. He continues: “We are aware of the many voices that are calling for Israel to be excluded from this year’s competition, just as we excluded the Russian broadcaster in 2022 after the invasion of Ukraine.”
That’s why Russia can’t take part
However, the war of aggression in Ukraine is not the actual reason why Russia was excluded from the ESC. It is not the EBU’s job to compare two wars. The Russian broadcasters are not allowed to take part because they have lost their independence from the Russian state. As the EBU general director tells the Norwegian newspaper, the Russian TV stations are violating the applicable guidelines.
In Israel, on the other hand, the state television station KAN repeatedly opposes the government – and thereby proves its independence, says Curran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has even threatened to shut down the television network several times in recent years. That’s why Curran stands by the Israel decision and says:
“We remain committed to ensuring that the Eurovision Song Contest remains a non-political event that continues to unite people around the world through music in the future.”
(leo)