The European Broadcasting Union has warned that proposed legislation affecting Israel's public broadcaster could jeopardize the country's participation in major international media events, including the Eurovision Song Contest. In a letter to a senior member of parliament, the union's director general expressed deep concern over a bill that would remove the broadcaster's legally guaranteed budget and place funding decisions under direct government oversight.
According to the letter, weakening the financial independence of the public broadcaster could undermine public trust at home and damage Israel's democratic image abroad. The union stressed that membership in the international public media community, as well as access to global events such as the Olympic Games and the World Cup, depends on maintaining independent public broadcasting structures.
The warning comes shortly after controversy surrounding Israel's participation in Eurovision. The broadcaster was accused of encouraging viewers to vote multiple times for its contestant, prompting criticism and the removal of a promotional advertisement. Supporters of the Israeli entry argued that the voting rules permitted multiple votes and described the accusations as unfairly targeting the country.


