In addition to several petitions signed by dozens of former participants of the Eurovision Song Contest and thousands of fans, the public broadcasters of Slovenia, Spain, Iceland and Ireland have also called for an official debate to discuss Israel’s inclusion in Eurovision 2025.

In response, executives of the organisation reiterated that the EBU’s role is “to ensure the contest remains … a universal event that promotes connections, diversity and inclusion through music” and it’s “an association of public service broadcasters, not governments.”

Meanwhile, Russia has been excluded from the competition since 2022, due to its war on Ukraine.

Israel’s participation in 2024 had also met immense opposition from several contestants and calls to boycott from the fans.

During the show, Israeli public broadcaster KAN consistently aired insulting commentary on the participants who opposed the genocide in Palestine’s Gaza, breaching EBU regulations.