Slovenia has asked the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to disqualify Israel from the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest due to its ongoing military actions in Gaza, according to Israeli media reports.
RTV SLO, Slovenia’s public broadcaster, sent a formal letter to the EBU requesting Israel’s exclusion, citing its attacks on Gaza as justification for this request. They also indicated that Slovenia might withdraw from the contest altogether if their request is not granted.
This controversy emerged after Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar spoke out against Israel and Russia, accusing them of violating the UN Charter through their respective conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, highlighting that Israel’s actions were particularly severe.
The Eurovision Song Contest, which will be celebrating its 69th edition next year, has seen ongoing criticism regarding Israel’s participation. During the latest competition, several performers advocated for a boycott of Israel, arguing that the country’s military operations in Gaza contradicted the values of the contest. Protests occurred earlier this year in Malmo, Sweden, while Israel was competing for a spot in the finals.
Despite these calls for disqualification, organizers have maintained that Eurovision is a “non-political event,” pointing out that Russia was removed from the competition in 2022 because its broadcasters were suspended from the EBU for failing to uphold membership obligations and public service values.
Israel’s participation in Eurovision is now further in doubt due to plans to privatize Kan, the nation’s public broadcaster. While Israel qualifies for Eurovision as an EBU member, the organization warned that if Kan is privatized, it would lead to Israel’s removal from the EBU.
The EBU stated, “Privatizing Kan would cause its removal from our union, limit Israel’s involvement in international events like Eurovision, and restrict Israeli viewers’ access to broadcasts such as the 2026 World Cup.”
Alon Gellert, Kan’s representative in the Knesset, described the efforts to exclude Israel from the Eurovision as initiatives by “antisemitic organizations and Palestinian activists.” However, he cautioned that dismantling Kan could unintentionally help achieve those goals.
“The state of Israel works hard to prevent this kind of exclusion. But now, through our own decisions, we risk making that a reality,” Gellert remarked.
