Any illusion that the road to Eurovision 2019 would be free from controversy and drama came to an abrupt halt just moments after Netta Barzilai secured victory. That’s because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasted no time announcing that the country intended to host in Jerusalem — a city whose status is controversial politically and in diplomatic practice.
And now — following unprecedented violence in Gaza and growing calls for countries to boycott Eurovision 2019 — Channel 10 claims that Israel’s right to host the contest could very well be taken away.
The Times of Israel reports that the during recent meetings with the EBU, officials from Geneva expressed concern that hosting in Jerusalem will lead several countries to boycott Eurovision next year. As the paper writes matter-of-factly: “Israel’s hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest in Jerusalem next year is in doubt”.
This follows the earlier news, reported by Haaretz, that members of the EBU were concerned about Israeli ministers politicising the event.
Sourced told the newspaper that they “did not care” for statements made by Ministers Miri Regev and Ayoub Kara about hosting and producing the contest in Jerusalem.
The source said: “The decisions made by Regev and Kara before even hearing anything about hosting the Eurovision are not deemed customary in the eyes of the Union’s officials.”
Both politicians demanded that their ministries be allowed to produce the contest, with the later claiming he would invite Dubai to compete. He would not, of course, have the authority to do that.
Calls to boycott Eurovision 2019 in Israel
As we previously reported, more than 25,000 people in Iceland have signed a petition calling for broadcaster RUV to pull out of the contest in light of “human rights abuses of Israel against the Palestinian people.”
That follows a call from the Lord Mayor of Dublin asking Ireland’s RTE to stay home as well.
Mac Donncha, a Sinn Fein politician with close ties to Palestine, made the comment in an interview with Dublin Live.
He said: “I would support [a boycott]…I don’t think we should send a representative.”
Mac Doncha isn’t the only Irish politican in support of a boycott. MEPs Lynn Boylan and Nessa Childers have both shared their support on social media.
And the calls for a boycott keep spreading.
The Left Party of Sweden has issued a strongly worded statement citing “the illegal occupation” that has “been condemned by the United Nations and Amnesty” and the fact that “thousands of Palestinians have been killed and millions have been forced to flee over the years.”
“It is unreasonable for Israel to host this gigantic music contest while the occupation is in progress,” they write.
The Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom some members Britain’s Labour Party have echoed these sentiments in their own strong terms.
Photo: Thomas Hanses (EBU) / Insets via wikimedia
Read more Israel Eurovision news
The ESC could be held somewhere else because of this, but it might still be held in Israel. But the EBU are a non-political organisation, so they don’t really care about the politics. When the official ESC twitter page tweeted, “Don’t book flights to Israel yet! And stay updated with news!” It was because, all of the meetings between the Israeli President and the EBU to sort out all the things that are happening. My opinion is that the ESC should be held somewhere else in the EU, because it would just make more sense. It could be hosted in… Read more »
The EBU are a non political organisation, in that they don’t really care about politics. Contests have been held in Moscow, Baku, and Kiev all without major boycotts. The contest is a commercial venture. If they can host the contest safely to the same timetable they always do, and provided the have no less than say 35 entries, it will go ahead in Israel. The Pais Arena Jerusalem is big enough, given that fewer fans will travel. Shabbat, and it’s observance is the key. As I understand it Shabbat requires everything to be closed from sunset Friday evening to sunset… Read more »
Eurovision 2019 should be held in Nicosia
Just because Israel is a LGBT friendly country than its neighbours doesn’t excuse other human rights violations.
Host it in Tel Aviv and you’d avoid most of these problems. You wouldn’t have 43 countries but most would still participate.
On the issue of Baku and Moscow- those cities are unquestionably Azeri and Russian respectively. It’s not just human rights but foreign policy and international law in question here- Jerusalem is a contested city and is not recognised by the UN as being purely Israeli.
So you suggest the us will go against a hole continent and union just for israel?? I don’t think so
German press now says that EBU told them all these rumors are false, the relationship with Israeli broadcaster KAN can’t be better and preparations for the Eurovision in Israel just started.
Does it mean all these rumors were just publicity??
Yes, but I’m not surprised
However I prefer the portuguese LED drama
Scroll down in the comments and you will find a French interview with EBU that says the exact same as you
Saw that on Italian news today
Some of his comments were removed
@EurovisionFanN1
You have 71 votes here???????? I think you just made History on Wiwibloggs, you should receive a prize from @William Adams
Anyway thank you for the information
He’s criticizing how real and accurate Wiwibloggs sources are
So I don’t think William will ever give him/her any prize lol
Well I miss the LED drama…
Again, if nothing happened because of Moscow or Baku hosting, or Minsk hosting 2 Junior Eurovisions; there should be no boycott this year. And considering the World Cup is about to be hosted by Russia… Yeah, it’s not gonna be Jerusalem and no one will withdraw.
Good point, actually. Baku played the EBU like a fiddle.
I am Jewish and I can confirm that according to our sacred scriptures, Jerusalem belongs to Israel and it was given to us the Jews because we are God’s chosen people. Anybody who doesn’t like it, too bad, they can take it up with God because He is the one who decided this. God gave us Jerusalem, because Jews as His chosen people, are supposed to lead the rest of the nations because we are spiritually closer to him. Do you European Christians want to go to hell? If so, keep denying Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Only the… Read more »
I am also Jewish and I can confirm that the comment above is delusional.
The only religion that exists in this world is money, so anyone who has plenty of it can call himself God.
It is always said to see such delusion spread over the internet, when it really should be medically treated.
I LOVE NETTA so much
The only artist after Eurovision that I really want to follow
After Eurovision she’s being UNSTOPPABLE
https://www.i24news.tv/fr/actu/israel/175661-180526-l-eurovision-nie-toute-tension-avec-israel-sur-l-emplacement-du-concours-en-2019
I wonder how real and accurate are the sources from @William Lee Adams, because French and Swiss Media say the opposite…
They say they contacted EBU yesterday and they told them everything is perfectly fine to host the Eurovision 2019 in Israel (they didn’t mention Jerusalem). They also say there’s a very good harmony between them and the Israeli broadcaster KAN. They say the preparations will start and all the rumors are false and only internet speculations.
I was 100% sure.
All this was just more publicity for Eurovision. There won’t be any boycotts. And Eurovision will be held in Jerusalem. Nothing new
But thanks
On le savait, c’ est que de la publicité ces rumeurs sur internet 😀
Although it was clear, that’s good to know. Thanks 🙂
YES YES YES <3
So all these rumors were only publicity
I mean I’m not surprised at all
I knew
Oh yeah baby
See you all in Israel
Oui je le savais deja
😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Everybody knew that already
Because clickbait. Glad to see someone getting the facts! I think everything’s been amplified, as things are in fan/social media (the potential boycotts, the Jerusalem stuff, etc) because of course it is. Can’t always be Lisbon. I think it’ll be fine.
Makes sense. Wiwibloggs equals yellow press.
? ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
If you googled something from 2013 it was indeed the biggest indoor arena.. Until 2014. While the tribunes of the two are about the same capacity, the field itself is much larger in the Jerusalem arena.
And when someone has nothing to lose, the solution is to become suicide bombers, shoot, kill people…
From the bottom of my heart, I really hope Israel chooses Holy Jerusalem, and I really trust Israeli authorities. I’ll be there
I agree with Surie2019
People always try to live, not die for their country
Can you image a world ruled by Arabs? Everytime there is a bad situation: terrorist group
Hello everybody… I’m just so sad… i can’t believe it… I Just had a scroll through the comments here and all the hate is unbelievable! It’s even worse on Netta’s performance at the grand finale on YouTube… There was even a guy saying to put Netta in a gas chamber… with a bunch of comments agreeing with him. What’s worng with you people? It’s a song contest… the girl came and gave her all. Like her or not, agree with her country leaders or not – she won! and so she and her country deserve to get the same treatment… Read more »
What I see on Instagram and Youtube are only genuine comments that support Netta and Israel. Just like here.
But of course there are always those same comments by the same people that just want to hate on anyone or anything 🙂
Amazing , and they say that they ESC should not be political? Such hypocrete by they I mean the EBU
These Leftists and BDS supporters boycotting Eurovision Song Contest is SO FUNNY 🙂
And the funniest part is that they really believe Eurovision will be boycotted 🙂
i’m sure everything is being taken into consideration
I’m Israeli, I’m Jew, and in my sacred book Torah, it mentions Jerusalem as the territory of Jews.
If there are any Christians here, can you confirm the Bible mentions Jerusalem as the territory of Jews too? WAAAAYYY before Muslims, Islam was the very last religion to exist
“I cant believe people who would disagree with me would post on an internet comment section!”
You’re making a mistake by going this route. This quote explains it better than I could.
“I’m a very religious person. See this? It’s a yarmulke. I’m a religious person. I never cite to the Bible. The reason I don’t cite to the Bible is because that’s an argument from authority. You may not believe the authority to which I’m citing. ” – Benjamin Shapiro
Jerusalem 2019 Please
Seriously who will follow that ugly man from Ireland that belongs to the terrorist group BDS or an isolated country like Iceland where nothing happens and can’t understand what is happening in Israel?
His name is Mac Donncha 🙂
And yeah he’s not very handsome lol
Guys, you’re funny. The ESC was hosted by Israel twice before in Jerusalem and it was the best editions of the contest in those years.
I doubt that any boycott would happen, afther the 2008’s win of Russia many people spoke of boycotting the Eurovision in Moscow, but no country actually boycotted the contest.
Georgia withdrawn from the contest because EBU didn’t accepted the song “We don’t wanna put in”, but that’s all
Russia and Azerbaijan have hosted in the past ten years so your point makes no sense.
And what exactly did Azerbaijan do against human rights?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Azerbaijan Read this, Aliyev apologist
Hahahah I’m not even Azeri, but yeah, I have no problem with him..
People need to get over the fact that at least part of Jerusalem is in Israel.
If it weren’t for Donaldo Trumpero speach aboput Jerusalem I really doub there would be an issue with Eurovision being held in Jerusalem again.
But Dino is actually right, at the moment most countries in the UN and the Eu defends that Jerusalém should be a capital for both countries
Mid-90s I believe was the first time, but the most famous point came in 2000 at the Camp David summit. As a frustrated Clinton official said afterwards “Arafat sat there for two weeks and said no to everything”
Kalle, literally nothing you write makes sense, it almost hurts my eyes to read it. Nothing netta did after her victory was for political purposes. Don’t really get where your assumptions are coming from. It’s like you’re trying super hard to make it political yourself.
The Eurovision song contest should have been limited to European countries but the addition of Australia takes it beyond ridiculous. Most countries only perform pop songs in English anyway so there’s no sense of national identity unless you dance like a chicken. Add political voting to the mix and you have the biggest farce on Earth.
Girl, bye
The problem is that too many ppl that have no decision making power are talking. You have no power to decide this. Let the EBU and the channel decide this.
Sure, let them decide to stage next year’s Eurovision in Jerusalem. Ordinary people can then show their power by simply not watching it on TV and by boycotting (or girlcotting) the live venue. Imagine how embarrassing that would be for the organisers.
Tel Aviv is a global tech hub, global party City, and so many other things that make it the ideal hotspot for the ESC fans. The fact that all of that is being overlooked by the Israelis in a position of power really says a lot.
Hoe, go home, you drunk
How is wanting to host in our capital a political provocation? Jerusalem is our capital and so it’s very natural for us to want to host there. It’s no different than Portugal hosting in Lisbon or Austria hosting in Vienna. The broadcast who is in charge of hosting would not allow any political substance in the contest. The ones who are making this political are the rest of the world.
Inviting Dubai as in UAE to compete in Eurovision? They better send Balqees Ahmed Fathi.
Anyway, all these boycotting pressures from the leftists is getting ridiculous.
Why would the NRA, which concerns itself with domestic American policy, have anything to do with International Affairs?
I mean, you talk about ignorance… LMAO.
Tel Aviv, please.
If Tel Aviv’s mayor changes has mind. 🙂 Otherwise, next year’s contest will have to be moved to one of the following countries: (excluding Australia, Moldova, Portugal, countries that weren’t announced as qualifiers, and countries that withdraw long ago)
* Albania
* Austria
* Bulgaria
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Hungary
* Ireland
* Italy
* Lithuania
* Netherlands
* Norway
* Serbia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom
Albania doesn’t have an arena but other than that Israel is going to host yes or yes
H Y P O C R I T E S !!
All of a sudden because Israel won you decide to boycott the hosting because of the “occupation”?? So you oppose the idea of Israel hosting the contest that had already hosted twice and in Jerusalem but you were ok with Israel taking part in Eurovision all these years?? I bet it’s also ok with you to continue to enjoy and use all the new technologies and Israeli great contributions to the world “you also occupy” isn’t?
I’m pretty sure itll be in Jerusalem or Israel will refuse to host. And I’m pretty sure no boycotts will happen… Except maybe Iceland since theirs has a public backing instead of just some lunatic politicians.
Lol, good one!
The United States could end this tomorrow.
You wouldn’t like the solution.
Elaborate.
Israel wants to invite Dubai this year in Jerusalem and Dubai wants to participate in Eurovision. But why EBU doesn’t want Dubai but wants Australia?
Because the country is called United Arab Emirates.
I prefer Burkina Faso tho.
Official KAN and EBU say Dubai…
Wiwibloggs only mentions Dubai too…
Ok. But UAE is the UN member nation. Isn’t that necessary to debut? That’s why Kosovo, Faroe Is. and Scotland can’t participate.
The country broadcast company must be member of EBU and have broadcasted last year’s eurovision contest in orther to participate this year.
Israel inviting those countries would be against the rules of EBU and the Eurovision Song Contest.
The only way arround the rules is for those countries to act as interval acts, not active participants
@Mike
However some rumors say the son of the king of Dubai is gay. I checked and I think he is 35yo and no woman no kids 🙂
His name is Fazza
And yes there are rumors he’s gay. But he is very private and also nobody there had the courage to ask that question.
A Dubai local magazine had posted a photo of him found on Planetromeo apparently, but dubai authorities said it was photoshop and the magazine was closed later and was fined to pay a lot of money
Some say he’s the nightmare of his father, Sheick of UEA lol
The country does not have a national broadcaster with EBU membership, also its participation is unlikely due to its policies on LGBT rights:
Source – wikipedia
Stop boycotting and let’s girlcott!
I have a question: why do Arabs always choose terrorist groups/governments or radical groups/governments?
I really hope Israel can control their borders and Europe/UK/USA can protect the world.
I can’t imagine this world ruled by Arabs OMG
Brainwashing Arab TV stations like Aljazeera and others say Live that it is written in the Quran that the whole world will speak arabic and be muslim…
I believe some arabs are brainwashed by the Arab Media, governments…
This is just more polemic and controversy and publicity to Eurovision 2019 edition
I’m sure EBU Eurovision KAN are having great fun backstage
Definitely the most talked about Eurovision
@Melanie
That’s more complicated and nobody is interested
Boycotting Eurovision is so much fun and easier
Even if Eurovision has nothing to do with that
WOW, the EBU bullies are at it again. First they take Eurovision off China for political ideaologies they don’t agree with, now they are trying to step in and take Eurovision off Jerusalem because left wing fascists like them are making noise and threatening to boycott. Looks like the bullies always win. Sad sad sad.
Exactly.
Why do they broadcast the contest if they don’t agree with the ideologies of it?
Nah, they were right to kick off China. It was China that was censoring stuff, not the EBU.
We in Australia had the naked stage invader moment of 2017 censored in replays, and Australia was not stripped of broadcasting rights. China censors things that aren’t in their values and culture and they are stripped of broadcasting rights. It seems to be a case of what you censor. Double standards.
China censored parts of the show that were MEANT to be there. That’s the difference. Of course the naked invader was censored! But you CANNOT censor an act.
Do you actually try to go through life without having to engage in critical thinking?
THANK YOU wiwibloggs for posting this comment from EBU. It may even happen in Jerusalem, but it would be better in another city, in Israel itself.
There is always a bidding phase the result of which is announced late july/august. Always, every year, every country. The host city is not technically official until then. Technically
So that means we have to sit through 2 or 3 months of articles like this.
Reading far too much into anyone’s tweets every eye movement of Jon Ola Sand scrutinised for potential clues, every word taken out of context and given a new meaning, before as everyone reasonable knows, Jerusalem will be officially declared the host city.
Hosting a contest in your capital city is now “nationalistic ambitions”
Didn’t see that outcry when Portugal was in Lisbon, or Ukraine in Kyiv, or Sweden in Stockholm, or Austria in Vienna, or Denmark in Copenhagen, or Azerbaijan in Baku, or Russia in Moscow, or…
You mean all that talk about stopping people from breaking through a wall to invade your country and wreak havoc?
Yea, how dare they do that.
Jerusalem is, by international law, not Israeli. West Jerusalem is, but while Israel occupies the entirely of the city, there will be no recognition of Jerusalem as their capital. That’s the law, that’s the facts, so yes, using ESC to promote the Jerusalem cause is wrong.
You haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about, that’s most certainly not the law or the facts. ESC was hosted in Jerusalem in 79 and 99, the conflict has been going on since 48. Keep up.
No one not even Arabs dispute Jerusalem as the capital, they just claim East Jerusalem is not part of it, none of the venues are located in East Jerusalem so there is no dispute.
No Chris, just no, that’s not right
You’re stupid just like your smartphone 😀
None of those other capitals is in disputed territory though, also most of the countries that participate do not recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The only equivalent to Jerusalem 2019 would be of Russia or Ukraine tried to host the contest in Crimea , which the EBU would never allow to happen.
Um no, all 43 countries participating recognise Jerusalem as the capital. They don’t have embassies there, but that’s not the same thing as not recognising it as the capital.
A better example would be saying Ukraine can’t host 2017 as a portion of its territory is disputed, even though IEC in Kiev is not in that disputed area. Arabs only try and claim the Eastern part of the city where none of the venues are.
Jerusalem hosted in 1979 and more recently 1999 just fine. Also every year they have the live link up from Jerusalem, Israel.
I think Lisbon should belong to Spain.
There, now its “disputed territory”
Tel Aviv is a far more suited host city in my opinion. But I still think it will be Jerusalem. Blame the EBU though. After all, they let Israel compete every year knowing that if they win, it’s highly likely that Jerusalem could be a potential host city. Israel is given hosting right,I guess they are free to host it wherever they wanted within what they consider their country, regardless of how the international community would say otherwise. The EBU always say they are not political (I think they are), but it’s certainly time to get tough with who they… Read more »
All of the venues are in the undisputed part of the city. The only part of the city in dispute is the Eastern quarter which is mainly just historic sites important to all 3 Abrahamic religions.
And Tel Aviv has already stated it does not want to host.
Your comment is basically what I think about this.
OMG