Overview

• Austrian foreign minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger sent urgent letters to counterparts arguing a boycott would split the EBU and not improve conditions in Israel or Gaza.
• Germany’s culture minister Wolfram Weimer rejected calls to exclude Israel, warning the contest must unite artists rather than become a tribunal.
• Public broadcasters in Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia have threatened to withdraw if Israel competes, and Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez urged wider international exclusions.
• The EBU plans to decide Israel’s status at its December General Assembly, with Israel’s broadcaster KAN saying it intends to participate and with a potential financial hit if Big Five member Spain steps back.
• Russia staged its Intervision alternative in Moscow with more than 20 participants, Vietnam’s Duc Phuc won, a planned U.S. act withdrew at the last minute, and organizers announced Saudi Arabia as the next host.