Eurovision Song Contest organisers have said that excluding Israeli broadcaster Kan from the competition would have been a “political decision” – rejecting calls for a boycott and saying they are just following the rules of the competition.

Set to take place over the week in Malmo, Sweden, the song contest has been under close scrutiny due to Israel’s participation amid its current military campaign in Gaza.

Speaking on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Jean Philip De Tender, deputy director general of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said the decision to Kan on the competition was based on the rules in place.

"It’s about uniting onstage all of these young talents,” he said, “these participants, and they do great. It’s about diversity and inclusion.

"But there are competition rules and you need to follow the competition rules and take decisions based on these competition rules.

"If you were to exclude Kan outside of these competition rules, that would have been a political decision, as such, which we cannot take."

He also noted the EBU is an apolitical member organisation,"in line" with other international federations including sports bodies who are allowing Israel to participate in events.

In December, organisers had already rejected calls for a boycott, highlighting the apolitical nature of the event. Last week, they also stated that they reserved the right to remove any Palestinian flags or symbols during the show.

In Ireland, over 400 artists signed an open letter addressed to Eurovision entrant Bambie Thug, calling for them to withdraw from this year’s contest.

Bambie Thug released a joint statement with Eurovision contestants from the UK, Norway, Ireland, Portugal, San Marino, Switzerland, Denmark, Lithuania and Finland saying that the artists were going ahead and participating in the 2024 contest.

The Eurovision Song Contest is set to take place in Malmo, Sweden, with the semi-finals starting tonight, where Bambie Thug is set to perform.