The Eurovision Song Contest, one of the world’s most celebrated musical events, is undergoing significant changes to its voting system following allegations of interference by the Israeli government. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the Geneva-based organization overseeing the contest, announced on Friday that the reforms aim to bolster trust, transparency, and audience engagement. These measures come amid growing calls to exclude Israel from the competition due to its government’s actions during the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza. Israel, a long-standing participant with four victories, has faced criticism for allegedly using the contest as a political tool. In September, Dutch public broadcaster AVROTROS cited human suffering in Gaza as a reason to oppose Israel’s participation, a stance echoed by several other countries. The EBU’s new voting rules include halving the number of votes per payment method to 10 and reintroducing professional juries in the semifinals for the first time since 2022. Additionally, enhanced safeguards will be implemented to detect and prevent suspicious voting patterns. Contest director Martin Green emphasized the importance of maintaining the event’s neutrality and integrity, stating that it must remain a non-political space. The EBU’s general assembly, meeting on December 4-5, will decide whether Israel can participate in the 2024 contest, scheduled for May in Vienna. A vote on Israel’s participation will only occur if member broadcasters deem the new measures insufficient.
Eurovision plans changes to voting, security after allegations of Israeli government ‘interference’
