Eurovision to bar countries at war from hosting: What that means

What the report says

The European Broadcasting Union has introduced a new Eurovision rule saying that a winning broadcaster may be barred from hosting the contest if its country is involved in an armed conflict, faces a sensitive geopolitical situation, or has other security or stability issues affecting the event. According to Al Jazeera, the change was announced on Wednesday and is meant to give organisers a basis for deciding whether a host country is safe and able to stage the competition.

The report says the policy would affect countries such as Israel, which hosted Eurovision in 2019 and could still compete under the new rules but may no longer be allowed to host if it wins again. Russia is already excluded from both participating and hosting because of its invasion of Ukraine. Al Jazeera notes that Ukraine also could not host in practice because of the war, including when it won in 2022.

The article places the rule change in the context of sustained criticism of Eurovision over Israel’s participation during the war in Gaza. Several broadcasters and governments had called for boycotts, and protests were reported around recent contests. Some countries, including the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia, Spain and Iceland, previously said they would skip the competition if Israel took part.

EBU director Martin Green said the review was intended to make the contest fairer, clearer and safer for participants. The broadcaster told Al Jazeera that any hosting assessment would be made closer to the relevant contest date.