GENEVA — Organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest — the world’s largest music event — on Thursday began two days of debate about Israel’s future participation, after mounting calls to exclude it, notably due to the war in Gaza.

Members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) met behind closed doors and under tight security in Geneva, following threats of mass withdrawals from the annual show if Israel takes part next year.

Voting arrangements are also on the agenda, after Israel’s Yuval Raphael — a survivor of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack — was propelled into second place overall after the public vote, prompting suspicions about manipulation.

Similar concerns were raised the previous year after Israel’s Eden Golan was catapulted into fifth place despite lacklustre scoring from national

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