Slovenia pushes to ban Israel from Eurovision 2025 

Slovenia’s public broadcaster officially urged the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) on Saturday to bar Israel from competing in Eurovision 2025, scheduled to take place in Basel, Switzerland, in May.

In its letter to the EBU, the broadcaster cited political concerns, marking Slovenia as the first European nation to formally request Israel’s exclusion.

The appeal aligns with recent moves by Slovenia’s government, including its recognition of Palestinian statehood and support for legal proceedings against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Reports suggest that two additional proposals were considered within Slovenia: withdrawing from Eurovision if Israel participates or blacking out Israel’s performance on Slovenian screens. However, these more extreme measures have been set aside for now.

The call comes after a contentious Eurovision 2024 for Israel, where political tensions led to unsuccessful efforts to remove the Israeli delegation. Despite backlash from participants and audiences alike, Israel’s representative, singer Eden Golan, secured an impressive fifth-place finish amid the hostility.

* Ynet contributed to this article.