Singer Yuval Raphael representing Israel with the song "New Day Will Rise" at the 69th Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland in May 2025. Mandoga Media/picture alliance/Getty Images

Organizers behind the Eurovision Song Contest, the fun-filled pop music spectacle that draws millions of viewers globally, are meeting on Thursday to discuss Israel’s participation in next year’s competition, amid calls for the country to be excluded over the war in Gaza.

The meeting at the Geneva headquarters of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), a group of public broadcasters from 56 countries who run the show, will consider new rules unveiled last month to limit governments and third parties from disproportionately influencing voting.

Several nations have expressed concerns over Israel’s par

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