Israel has officially been named the host of Eurovision 2019 – but the song competition’s organiser, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) might withdraw that if Israel opts to have it in Jerusalem.
Israel won the right after little known singer Netta Barzilai won the final on May 12 with the feminist-themed Toy which has almost 100 million views on YouTube.
It’s long been an international contentious point if Israel has any claim to Jerusalem – it was won through wars going back 70 years – much less a capital city.
The EBU has warned against “politicising” the issue and has made it clear that they are not happy with the decision, releasing a statement insisting that “…every host broadcaster takes all necessary steps to safeguard the non-political character of the event.”
EBU’s statement went on to confirm that the official announcement of the host city will be released by September 2018.
In 1999, when Israel hosted Eurovision, the contest was held in Jerusalem without incident.
Read the article on The Music Network.