Eurovision Song Contest director Martin Green has firmly rejected mounting calls to exclude Israel from the 2024 competition amid growing political pressure over the Gaza conflict. Green underscored Eurovision’s apolitical nature and emphasized that the contest celebrates unity among broadcasters, not nations. He also drew a sharp distinction between Israel’s participation and Russia’s previous ban. Israel will be represented by Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the Oct. 7 Nova Festival massacre, with a symbolic anthem titled “A New Day Will Rise.”
As international tensions seep into the world of music and culture, the newly appointed director of the Eurovision Song Contest, Martin Green, has taken a defiant stand against politically driven demands to ban Israel from the iconic international event. In a bold and unwavering statement, Green categorically rejected the growing campaign to ostracize the Israeli broadcaster Kan, reaffirming that Eurovision must remain a beacon of unity and artistic expression in a divided world.
The 69th edition of Eurovision is scheduled to take place in Basel, Switzerland, from May 13 to 17. But as the contest draws near, anti-Israel sentiment has ignited a firestorm of protest, particularly from the Spanish public broadcaster RTVE, which penned a formal appeal to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). RTVE urged the EBU to "debate" whether Israel should be allowed to participate, citing concerns over the ongoing war in Gaza.
Despite the mounting pressure, Green has stood firm, defending the contest's core values. “Events like Eurovision are about reminding the world of the best it can be,” he declared in a recent interview. “What matters is what unites us, not what divides us.”
Will Israel participate in Eurovision 2025? As far as the new contest director is concerned, there is no question at all. https://t.co/huRSYGVwgf
— Chris Korn 🎗 🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱 🎗 (@cwkorn) April 22, 2025
Reinforcing the EBU’s longstanding commitment to neutrality, Green emphasized a key tenet often overlooked by critics: Eurovision is not a contest between nations, but between public broadcasters. “This competition is not a forum for political score-settling,” he said. “It is about broadcasting excellence, cultural diversity, and shared values through music.”
Addressing inevitable comparisons with Russia’s expulsion from the competition in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine, Green clarified the legal and ethical differences. Russia’s exclusion, he explained, was due to its state-controlled broadcaster violating EBU rules, not merely because of political actions by the state. “There is no equivalency between the cases. The Russian broadcaster acted as an arm of government propaganda, whereas Kan adheres to all EBU standards,” he stated emphatically.
One month until the Eurovision finals!
— Embassy of Israel to the USA (@IsraelinUSA) April 17, 2025
Yuval Raphael, who survived the massacre at the Nova festival on October 7th, will be representing Israel.
Listen to her powerful song - “New Day Will Rise” pic.twitter.com/fuN9zuplo5
Underscoring Israel’s commitment to the spirit of Eurovision, this year’s representative is none other than Yuval Raphael—a survivor of the horrific October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre at the Nova music festival. His song, “A New Day Will Rise,” carries a message of resilience, renewal, and unshakable hope in the face of darkness. His story is expected to deeply resonate with audiences across Europe and beyond.
By resisting calls for exclusion and reaffirming the apolitical essence of Eurovision, Martin Green and the EBU have drawn a line in the sand: Eurovision will not be hijacked by political agendas. It will remain a rare global stage where music can heal, unite, and inspire—regardless of the headlines that seek to divide.
