Eurovision organisers on Israel's entry: "All members are eligible to compete"

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) have responded to concerns raised by Spain's public broadcaster (RTVE) regarding Israel's participation in this year's Eurovision Song Contest.

RTVE revealed on Friday they had sent a letter to the contest's organisers, asking for a public "debate" on whether Israel should participate in light of events taking place in Gaza.

In their letter, the Spanish broadcaster stated "their commitment to the contest," while also "recognising the concerns raised by several groups of Spain's civil society regarding the situation in Gaza and the participation of Israeli public television (KAN) in the contest.

"RTVE believes it would be appropriate for the EBU to recognise the existence of this debate," continued the statement, "and to facilitate a space for the EBU's members to debate KAN's participation."

In response to the request, the contest's organisers said that "all members of the EBU are eligible to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest, and we remain in constant contact with those participating this year, including RTVE, on all aspects of the contest.

"We welcome RTVE confirming their commitment to the Eurovision Song Contest and appreciate there are concerns and deeply held views regarding the current conflict in the Middle East," they added.

The artist behind this year's Israeli entry, Yuval Raphael, is a survivor of the Hamas attack on Israel of October 7.

Israel's participation in Eurovision has been the subject of controversy since the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October of 2023. Artists, fans, and organisations have asked to ban Israel from the contest.

Last year, there were calls for artists to boycott the contest as long as Israel participated, while artists complained the debate could overshadow the event.

The EBU also said they reserved the right to remove Palestinian flags or symbols from the ceremony.

Eurovision is set to take place this year in Basel, Switzerland, in May.

Ireland will be represented by Norwegian singer EMMY with her track 'Laika Party'.