EBU to PM: Don't interfere in Eurovision
In anticipation of 2019 Eurovision song competition to be held in Israel, the European Broadcasting Union sends a letter to Netanyahu demanding his assurance the government wouldn't interfere with competition's contents and that preparations will be held on Jewish rest day.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has sent an official letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanding him to guarantee the government would not interfere in the contents of the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest planned to be held in Israel.
The EBU posed an additional two demands according to which Eurovision fans would not be banned from entering the contest based on their political opinions, religion, or sexual orientation and that the preparations for the contest would be held on Shabbat.
Neither Netanyahu, nor the Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC) have responded to the aforementioned demands.
The preparations for the Eurovision, which will be held in May, went into high gear and in the upcoming days the contest's venue will be announced. It will be held in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, after Eilat had withdrawn from the race.
Since the cancellation of the soccer match between Argentina and Israel, Netanyahu instructed the ministers involved— Minister of Culture and Sports Miri Regev and Minister of Communications Ayoob Kara—not to say anything that might jeopardize EBU's endorsement of the contest in Israel.
Netanyahu's desire to hold the Eurovision Song Contest in Israel is reflected in his renouncement to split Israel Public broadcasting corporation (IPBC) from its news division.
Since EBU threatened to ban Israel from hosting the contest in case of an IPBC split, the prime minister decided to back down and abandon the law, on which he had insisted a year ago, almost leading to early elections.
According to the European Broadcasting Union, splitting the IPBC would have contradicted its rules concerning the Eurovision Song Contest.
