BBC Boss Addresses Eurovision Boycott Threats Over Israel’s Participation

BBC Director-General Tim Davie has said the broadcaster will cooperate with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in resolving the growing controversy over Israel’s place in the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest.

Speaking before the UK parliament’s public accounts committee on Monday, Davie stressed that Eurovision should remain “a celebration of music and culture that brings people together” rather than a political battlefield. He explained that the BBC, as a key member of the EBU, would back the union’s internal processes and decision-making. “At this stage, we are supportive of the European Broadcasting Union’s work. They are consulting members and working through all the processes needed to make a decision,” Davie told MPs. He added it was “really important” to preserve the contest’s spirit of unity.

The issue has escalated as several European broadcasters – including those in Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland, and now Spain – have threatened to boycott the event if Israel is permitted to compete. Spain’s culture minister Ernest Urtasun has been particularly outspoken, echoing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s earlier demands for Israel’s exclusion. Sánchez has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, and his government recently recognized a Palestinian state, alongside Norway and Ireland, while imposing an arms embargo on Israel.

Israel has rejected these accusations, with Foreign Minister Gideon Saar denouncing Spain’s stance as antisemitic and full of “wild and hateful rhetoric.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also denied allegations of genocide and famine in Gaza, blaming aid agencies and Hamas for any hunger in the territory. Nonetheless, the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed in August that famine conditions exist in parts of Gaza, placing further international pressure on Israel.

The debate within Eurovision circles remains highly contentious. Germany and Italy have reportedly raised concerns about expelling Israel without firm legal grounds. Germany has publicly defended the membership of Israeli broadcaster Kan, arguing that unlike Russia’s expulsion in 2022 – which followed the belief that Russian broadcasters were no longer independent of the Kremlin – Israel’s broadcaster remains autonomous. The EBU has promised to consult widely with members before announcing a final decision, expected in December.

This controversy comes against the backdrop of an already tense political climate. More than 70 former Eurovision contestants signed an open letter earlier this year urging Israel’s ban from the 2025 contest, which will be staged in Vienna after Austrian singer JJ’s dramatic victory in 2024. Green Party leaders across the UK have also called for a possible boycott if Israel is allowed to participate, putting additional pressure on the BBC as the UK’s broadcaster.

Eurovision has long presented itself as an apolitical event, but its history reveals otherwise. Russia’s removal after its invasion of Ukraine set a precedent for political decisions tied to human rights and international law. However, the situation with Israel is more complicated, as the arguments hinge not on the broadcaster’s independence but on the country’s military actions in Gaza.

Israel launched its ongoing military campaign in Gaza following Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which left around 1,200 Israelis dead and more than 250 taken hostage. Since then, the Gaza Health Ministry, run by Hamas, reports at least 64,871 Palestinian deaths from Israeli airstrikes and ground assaults. The humanitarian crisis has intensified calls for accountability, with critics accusing Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war by restricting food and medical supplies into the enclave.

For now, Davie insists the BBC will defer to the EBU’s leadership. “I’m supporting the European Broadcasting Union’s work, and they need to get on with it,” he said. The outcome of the EBU’s December meeting will determine whether Eurovision 2025 in Vienna will face boycotts or manage to maintain its long-claimed role as a unifying festival of music.