Israel Archives

Report: Spain Will Demand Israel’s Expulsion From Eurovision 2026 at the EBU Conference

November 27, 2025 by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Spanish national broadcaster RTVE convened today at the joint committee of the Spanish Congress and Senate to discuss participation in Eurovision 2026. Spain seems firm in its stance and is expected to withdraw if Israel participates. The Spanish national broadcaster RTVE held today (Thursday) a joint committee of the Spanish Congress and Senate on the issue of control over the national broadcaster. During the meeting, representatives answered questions regarding public broadcasting in Spain, including one that has captivated Eurovision fans more than any other — whether Spain will participate in Eurovision 2026 and display a dramatic retreat, or continue with the hardline stance it has taken against Israel and its allies in the contest. It now appears Spain remains entrenched in its position and aims to push for Israel’s disqualification at the upcoming meeting of the EBU, scheduled for next week. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Spanish national broadcaster RTVE met today (Thursday) at 16:00 CET, for the...

HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 8: Five Contestants Advance to the Next Round

November 26, 2025 by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "HaKokhav HaBa" - Episode 8: Five contestants passed to the next round. The advancing contestants are Itamar Achiel, Gala Ohayon Katz, Yasmin Shimoni, Hela Gorelik and Nave Levi. Tonight, the eighth episode of the reality show “HaKokhav HaBa" aired, through which Israel’s representative for Eurovision 2026 will be chosen. So far, 35 contestants have secured their place in the competition, and during tonight’s episode, five additional contestants advanced to the next stage thanks to the votes of the judges and the studio audience – One of them might go on to represent Israel in Eurovision this coming May. The panel once again included Assaf Amdursky, Keren Peles, Shiri Maimon, Eden Hasson, and Itay Levi. Joining them this time as guest judges were Dana International, the winner of Eurovision 1998, and Netta Barzilai, who won Eurovision 2018. Each contestant must receive at least 70% of the votes to advance, and every judge contributes 12% to the total voting score. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Itamar Achiel Itamar Achiel, 21 years old, a...

Norway: Protesters to NRK – “Quit Eurovision If Israel Isn’t Expelled”

November 26, 2025 by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists protested this week outside Norway's national broadcaster offices, demanding withdrawal from Eurovision 2026 if Israel participates in the event to be held in Vienna, Austria. Not resting: Protesters gathered outside the offices of Norway’s national broadcaster NRK in Oslo and at several other locations across the country, attempting to pressure the channel to withdraw from Eurovision 2026 if Israel participates again this year. Among the organizers were the Palestinian community and the “Activists for Palestine” group. The protests took place ahead of the upcoming EBU assembly next week, originally planned to include a vote on whether Israel should be allowed to take part in the contest amid the ongoing war in Gaza. This vote was removed from the agenda following the current ceasefire. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Protesters’ Demands and NRK’s Response According to one of the demonstration’s leaders, NRK represents Norway within the EBU and “can join countries such...

HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 7: Five Contestants Advance to the Next Round

November 25, 2025November 26, 2025 by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "HaKokhav HaBa" - Episode 7: Five contestants passed to the next round. The advancing contestants are Mor Fadlon, Daniel Azar, Eliraz Zada, Aya Assaf and Saar Hadar. Tonight, the seventh episode of the reality show “HaKokhav HaBa" aired, through which Israel’s representative for Eurovision 2026 will be chosen. So far, 30 contestants have secured their place in the competition, and during tonight’s episode, five additional contestants advanced to the next stage thanks to the votes of the judges and the studio audience – One of them might go on to represent Israel in Eurovision this coming May. The panel once again included Assaf Amdursky, Keren Peles, Shiri Maimon, Eden Hasson, and Itay Levi. Joining them this time as guest judges were Dana International, the winner of Eurovision 1998, Yuval Raphael, who represented Israel last year, and Netta Barzilai, who won Eurovision 2018. Each contestant must receive at least 70% of the votes to advance, and every judge contributes 12% to the total voting score. During the show, Udi Schneider, who competed last season, performed his...

Ron Biton and the Fight for Change: How Israel’s Eurovision 2026 Song Will Be Chosen?

November 25, 2025 by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Eurovision 2026: Ron Biton and Yoav Ginai lead a plan to reform Israel’s song selection process, testing AI-driven anonymity, full transparency, and innovative methods to restore fairness and trust. Towards Eurovision 2026: The process of selecting Israel’s song for Eurovision 2026 is set for a significant overhaul involving technological innovation and greater transparency, following a broad protest by songwriters — much of it directed against the selection of Keren Peles as the songwriter for Israel’s entries to Eurovision 2024 and 2025. Ron Biton, a lyricist and composer who was among the protest’s leading voices, proposed that competing songs be submitted with vocals generated by AI. The idea’s goal is to ensure complete anonymity among creators and guarantee a fair, balanced process. Biton explained: “I suggested that all writers submit their songs with an AI-generated voice, keeping full anonymity intact. To his credit, Golan Yochpaz, CEO of the national broadcaster, supported the idea. As he promised last year that there would be...

HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 6: Five Contestants Advance to the Next Round

November 23, 2025November 23, 2025 by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "HaKokhav HaBa" - Episode 6: Five contestants passed to the next round. The advancing contestants are Mecy Kashty, Achia Edri, Mentamer Taganya, Amy Lensson and Ido Maurer. Tonight, the sixth episode of the reality show “HaKokhav HaBa" aired, through which Israel’s representative for Eurovision 2026 will be chosen. This evening featured six auditions, with five contestants succeeding and moving on to the next round thanks to the support of the judges and the studio audience. One of them might go on to represent Israel in Eurovision this coming May. The panel once again included Assaf Amdursky, Keren Peles, Shiri Maimon, Eden Hasson, and Itay Levi, with Netta Barzilai, winner of Eurovision 2018l joining as guest judge. Each contestant must receive at least 70% of the votes to advance, and every judge contributes 12% to the total voting score. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Mecy Kashty Mecy Kashty, 27 years old, originally from Tel Aviv. Mecy comes from the well-known Kashty family and has eight siblings. She is...

Spain: Decision on Participation in Eurovision 2026 to Be Announced on Thursday

November 23, 2025 by Ofek Jerassi Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Spain will reveal on Thursday whether it will participate in Eurovision 2026, as a joint parliamentary–national broadcaster committee questions RTVE’s leadership ahead of the European Broadcasting Union General Assembly. The Spanish national broadcaster RTVE will appear this Thursday before the joint committee of the Spanish Congress and Senate on oversight of the national broadcaster, where its management will respond to various questions concerning public broadcasting in Spain. One key issue that particularly interests Eurovision fans is whether Spain will participate in Eurovision 2026 and signal a significant climbdown, or whether it will maintain the hard line it has led against Israel and its allies in the contest. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); On Thursday at 16:00 (CET), the joint committee of the Congress and Senate responsible for supervising the Spanish national broadcaster will convene, during which RTVE’s leadership will have to answer questions from different politicians. This public hearing is part of the legal obligations of the Spanish national broadcaster, which...

HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 5: Five Contestants Advance to the Next Round

November 22, 2025 by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "HaKokhav HaBa" - Episode 5: Five contestants passed to the next round. The advancing contestants are Itay Evron, Bar Nir, David Ossona, Stav Vaknin and Portrait Band. Tonight, the fifth episode of the reality show “HaKokhav HaBa" aired, through which Israel’s representative for Eurovision 2026 will be chosen. This evening featured six auditions, with five contestants succeeding and moving on to the next round thanks to the support of the judges and the studio audience. One of them might go on to represent Israel in Eurovision this coming May. The panel once again included Assaf Amdursky, Keren Peles, Shiri Maimon, Eden Hasson, and Itay Levi, with Dana International joining as guest judges. Each contestant must receive at least 70% of the votes to advance, and every judge contributes 12% to the total voting score. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Itay Evron Itay Evron, 23 years old from Ziona, plays the piano and is a student at the Rimon School, where he met Keren Peles and performed with her...

Iceland Backtracks? Signs of a Lift on the Boycott of Israel at Eurovision 2026

November 21, 2025 by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Iceland nears a decision on Eurovision 2026 participation as sweeping voting reforms might lead its national broadcaster to withdraw its boycott pledge if Israel remains part of the competition. The Icelandic national broadcaster RÚV released a statement from its Director General, Stefán Eiríksson, regarding the Eurovision law reform: “This is clearly a step in the right direction”. Eiríksson appears to welcome the changes, viewing them as a constructive response to criticism surrounding last year’s contest—mainly regarding Israel’s participation. He expressed optimism about the new rules, while hinting that RÚV is still carefully assessing the overall situation. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Iceland Slowly Returns, Politics Still Hold the Stage This position marks a stark contrast to that of countries opposing Israel’s participation, which expressed strong dissatisfaction with the EBU’s announcement of a major Eurovision 2026 voting system reform. The turnaround - intended to rebuild public trust by strengthening the influence of professional juries who withheld votes from Israel over the...

Countries Opposing Israel’s Participation in Eurovision React to the EBU Statement

November 21, 2025 by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); A day of drama: TV networks opposing Israel's participation in Eurovision respond critically to the EBU’s statement, expressing strong dissatisfaction and signaling growing tension ahead of the December assembly. The Norwegian national broadcaster NRK reported today that the discussion regarding Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026, scheduled for December 4th as part of the organization’s general assembly, has been entirely canceled. According to the report, the EBU decided that Israel will be allowed to participate in Eurovision as usual. The countries opposing Israel’s participation - Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Slovenia - issued statements, some defiant in tone, expressing clear dissatisfaction with the decision. It should be noted that the EBU has not confirmed the report, and the discussion and potential vote on Israel’s participation remain on the agenda as long as no official confirmation has been received. Therefore, Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026 is still not guaranteed. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); This morning, the European...