European Broadcasting Union Ebu announced the Eurovision Song Contest on Wednesday sääntöuudistuksesta.
In the future, the country that won the competition must relinquish hosting the event if there is an armed conflict in its territory or the country’s geopolitical situation significantly affects the security of the country or its surrounding area.
Israel can therefore still participate in Eurovision, but the possible hosting of the event would be transferred to another country, should Israel win. In the new ones in the rules or does not mention Israel by name.
Because of Israel’s participation, Eurovision was boycotted this year by Spain, Holland, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia. Ebu has attracted countries back to the competition.
Israel won the public vote and came second in Eurovision in 2025 and finished second again this year. Israeli media Ynet headlined the rule change after the country came close to winning again.
Mightily head of the culture and affairs unit Johanna Törn-Mangs does not comment on whether the changes are sufficient from Yle’s point of view, but views them positively.
“It is important to us that Ebu takes an active role and that the Eurovision rules are constantly evaluated. According to our preliminary assessment, these changes are in the right direction,” says Törn-Mangs.
Israel was not named in the rule changes. However, have the rule changes taken a position specifically on the issue of Israel?
“The rules are decided by Ebu, who you should ask for more information. It is important for Yle that the rules guarantee a safe and fair event,” Törn-Mangs formulates.
A university lecturer familiar with Eurovision at the University of Turku Mari Pajala is critical of the rule change. He doesn’t think it’s enough to bring back the countries that boycotted Eurovision this year.
“I don’t think so, if you think about the reasons that the broadcasting companies gave for their absence. This rule change will not change those things at all,” says Pajala.
According to him, Ebu wants to avoid naming a single country and maintain the impression of neutrality and apoliticality of the event.
Rule change currently applies not only to Israel, but also to Ukraine. Ukraine won the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, but the BBC organized the 2023 contest in Liverpool on behalf of Ukraine.
According to the new rules, the other country would organize the games itself, not on behalf of the winning country.
“This would avoid a situation where, for example, the Eurovision Song Contest celebrating Israel would be organized in another country,” says Pajala.
However, Ebu reserves the right to allow hosting at its own discretion, for example after a “security assessment”.
According to Pajala, the new rules leave many details open. According to him, the rule change does not change the situation in the sense that Ebu has been able to consider whether Eurovision can be held in the winning country at any given time, as in the case of Ukraine in 2023.
“For example, this geopolitical situation. How is the definition interpreted and what is the geopolitical situation that could prevent the organization of the Eurovision Song Contest? This could open up new controversial questions,” Pajala assesses.
A day after the rule change, the Israeli company Moroccanoil, which has been Eurovision’s main sponsor for six years withdrew sponsoring the games.
Correction 13.8. 8:34 p.m.: Israeli company Moroccanoil pulled out of Eurovision sponsorship a day after the rule change, not on the same day, as the article erroneously read earlier.