Israel Confirms Participation in Eurovision 2025
The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 has been one of the most contentious in the competition’s history due to Israel’s participation amidst its ongoing conflict with Palestine. Despite the controversy, the Israel Broadcasting Corporation has confirmed, as reported by Euromix, that Israel will return for Eurovision 2025. This makes Israel the eleventh country to confirm its participation, joining Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Malta, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Germany, and Switzerland.
Potential Methods for Selecting Israel’s Representative
The Israeli delegation is currently discussing how they will select their next representative. One option is to revive the collaboration with the talent show ‘HaKokhav HaBa’, which began in 2015 and has proven successful, notably with Netta Barzilai’s victory with ‘Toy’ in Eurovision 2018.
Another possibility is using an internal committee to choose the artist, the method used for Noa Kirel, who achieved third place in Eurovision 2023 with her song ‘Unicorn’.
Lastly, they are considering the revival of an old national selection process where the Israeli public could vote, similar to Spain’s Benidorm Fest or Italy’s San Remo Festival. This method was discontinued because well-known artists did not participate and lesser-known artists could not afford the expenses of a proper performance.
Eden Golan and the Media Storm of 2024
Eden Golan, the winner of the tenth edition of ‘HaKokhav HaBa’, represented Israel in Eurovision 2024 with the song ‘Hurricane’. Despite securing a commendable fifth place, her participation was surrounded by controversy. During a tumultuous week, up to five countries, considered withdrawing from the contest in protest against what they perceived as whitewashing of Israel’s political situation.
A Challenging yet Promising Future
As Eurovision 2025 approaches, the Israeli delegation must decide on the most effective method to select their representative, balancing competitiveness with public support in an increasingly critical and politicized international environment.
Israel’s confirmation for next year promises to keep the interest and anticipation high, ensuring that both controversy and music remain central to the Eurovision stage.
