Herzog Warns Eurovision Ban Is Part of a Broader Threat

President Isaac Herzog made a compelling case this week regarding Israel’s stake in the Eurovision Song Contest. Amid plans for a November EBU vote on banning Israel’s participation, Herzog warned that such exclusion is not a musical matter it is part of a creeping campaign of delegitimization.

On air with Kan Reshet Bet, Herzog declared:

“I have seen dangerous processes that begin with Eurovision and end in other places. The delegitimization of Israel … starts with Eurovision but reaches matters that are vital to us. Every arena is important.”

His words arrive at a fraught moment. Spain, the Netherlands, Iceland, Ireland, and Slovenia have announced that they will refuse to send contestants if Israel is allowed to participate. Even as these threats mount, the European Broadcasting Union insists Eurovision remains a nonpolitical cultural event, and that contest entrants represent public broadcasters not governments.

Herzog also addressed domestic media risks. When asked about suggestions from some corners of the government to shutter Kan, the public broadcaster, the president responded with concern:

“I have immense respect for Kan. … The platform of public broadcasting is crucial it enables a diversity of opinions, free from bias, and allows everyone to be heard.”

He framed preserving Kan not as institutional politics but as a defense of democratic space especially in conflict times when silencing platforms is often the first step toward erasure.

Israel’s participation in Eurovision has already encountered turbulence. In previous editions, the EBU has demanded lyric changes to comply with its “no political content” rule. In 2024, President Herzog intervened to help Israel revise its entry song to satisfy EBU criteria, navigating between artistic expression and institutional constraints.

Now the stakes are higher. The November vote signals that some believe barring Israel is an acceptable tool even for cultural institutions. Herzog’s warning suggests that each symbolic exclusion can accumulate into a broader strategy of delegitimization.

In defending Israel’s place on the Eurovision stage, Herzog is defending its place in every stage. Upholding Israel’s voice in global forums cultural, political, or diplomatic is more than symbolic. It preserves the standing of a sovereign nation under siege, refusing to vanish into silence.

Israel stands firm in its right to be heard, to compete, and to exist. If you believe in that right, please share this reflection and if you’d like more voices defending Israel’s place in the world, subscribe to our newsletter for updates.