Eurovision Warns Israel Over Voting Rules Breach

Eurovision has issued a formal warning to Israel's national broadcaster, Kan, following a breach of competition rules. The broadcaster was found to have violated regulations after sharing promotional videos encouraging viewers to vote multiple times for Israel's entry, Noam Bettan.

Organizers confirmed that the videos, which urged fans to use all available votes for Bettan's song 'Michelle,' were removed promptly. While accepting the campaign wasn't a large-scale, funded effort, Eurovision officials stated it was against the contest's rules and spirit.

New rules implemented this year, where 50% of votes come from juries and individual votes are capped at 10, aim to limit third-party influence. These changes followed controversy last year where an Israeli government agency was accused of orchestrating a campaign to boost votes for its entry.

Calls to exclude Israel from the competition have persisted since October 2023. Recent contests have seen boycotts from several countries and protests, with Israeli performers facing security concerns and booing.