Austria’s public broadcaster ORF , tasked with hosting next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, said on Tuesday it hoped a compromise could be reached regarding Israel’s participation in the musical extravaganza before the matter is put to a vote.

“Now is the time for diplomacy,” stated ORF Director-General Roland Weissmann at a press briefing when asked about talks ahead of next month’s meeting of the European Broadcasting Union, per Reuters .

The contest is organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), with the host nation’s public broadcaster producing the annual show.

Weissmann said ORF wants the Jewish state to participate in the Vienna event, rejecting objections and boycott threats by broadcasters of five countries: Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain.

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