The Eurovision Song Contest is facing a potential collapse as a growing number of countries withdraw in protest against Israel’s participation, according to European affairs analyst Dave Keating.
Keating suggests that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) may be unable to implement the necessary reforms to ensure the return of the boycotting nations. Recently, five European countries – Spain, Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia, and Iceland – officially announced their withdrawal from the contest, citing Israel’s inclusion shortly after the EBU’s decision.
Keating indicated that the withdrawals stem not only from the situation in Gaza but also from concerns surrounding the alleged “politicization of the voting process.”
Paid Campaigns and Voting Irregularities
“Last year, Israel came first in the public vote, and the year before, they scored extremely highly. Given that the song last year, or in the last contest, didn’t perform well on Spotify, it seemed suspicious to many people because nobody was really listening to that song,” Keating explained.
He further stated that the Israeli government allegedly paid a consulting firm to manage a campaign urging people to vote for Israel as a form of political support. “I have friends in the United States who received these text messages, even though the United States doesn’t broadcast Eurovision, and almost nobody there knows what the event is. Nevertheless, I have some friends who voted for Israel, even though they have never watched this contest in their lives.”
Keating argues that Israel’s actions have “politicized the vote,” asserting that while the Israeli government may not have technically violated the written rules, it has violated the “spirit of the contest.”
He added that the EBU, despite warnings from several countries, has failed to implement the necessary updates to voting and campaigning regulations. “The reason is that the EBU doesn’t want to appear to be… [cut due to word limit]”
