Kevin Bakhurst has confirmed that RTÉ will not pull out of Eurovsion 2025.
An open letter to the EBU called on Israel’s contestant, Yuval Raphael, to be barred from the competition, and was signed by 72 artists — although no official members of the EBU have opposed Israel’s participation.
The RTÉ Director General this week called for a "discussion on Israel’s inclusion" in Eurovision with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) after members of an RTÉ sub-branch of the National Union of Journalists called on Mr. Bakhurst to formally oppose Israel’s inclusion in the competition.
Now, speaking on his way into Leinster House ahead of a meeting with the chairman of the media committee, Alan Kelly, Mr. Bakhurst said RTÉ would not pull the Irish entry out of Eurovision and did not want to "undermine" Israel’s public service broadcaster.
"It’s just to have conversation, but it’s very complicated, and the position of the Israeli public service broadcaster – who is, in the end, who enters this competition – is pretty precarious and they’re under a lot of pressure from the Israeli government, and I don’t want to undermine the Israeli public service broadcaster."
He said: "It is very complicated issue, and I’m very well aware that a number of members would not be in favour of excluding Israel. That’s not the point.
"It needs to be raised in my view as a point of discussion."
He said he has had "a number of discussions over the last couple of years about it" but another conversation was needed "given the level of public concern."
He added that he had spoken to director general of the EBU Noel Curran about the issue, who is a former director general of RTÉ.
"We just had a general discussion about my concerns and the fact that I would be writing to him."
Asked if RTÉ would pull its Irish entry, the song "Laika Party" performed by singer Emmy, out of the competition, he said: "No, absolutely, (we) won’t pull out of it."
The nation’s entry was also a contentious issue last year due to the ongoing conflict, which has now led to the death of an estimated 66,000 Palestinians, as well as an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
"I am appalled by the ongoing events in the Middle East and by the horrific impact on civilians in Gaza, and the fate of Israeli hostages," Mr. Bakhurst said in a statement responding to the NUJ’s letter.
"Notwithstanding the fact that the criterion for participating in the Eurovision Song Contest is membership of the European Broadcasting Union, RTÉ has nonetheless asked the EBU for a discussion on Israel’s inclusion in the contest.
"In doing this, we are mindful of RTÉ’s obligations as an independent, impartial public service news and current affairs provider, and of the need to maintain RTÉ’s objectivity in covering the war in Gaza.
"We are also very mindful of the severe political pressure on Israel’s public service broadcaster, Kan, from the Israeli government."
Kevin Bakhurst. (RollingNews.ie)
While other countries’ public broadcasters, including Slovenia, Iceland, and Spain, have raised concerns surrounding Israel’s participation, Director of the Eurovision Song Contest, Martin Green, has said that no members of the EBU have officially opposed Israel’s participation.
"No participating EBU member broadcaster, who have all been widely consulted, has 'publicly opposed' Israeli broadcaster Kan’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest – despite the claims in another letter from RTÉ journalists," Mr. Green said.
"The broadcasters mentioned in the letter, RTVE in Spain and RTVSLO in Slovenia, requested a discussion and RÚV in Iceland has informed us of their foreign minister’s comments on Kan’s participation."
"The EBU is not immune to global events but, together, with our members, it is our role to ensure the contest remains – at its heart – a universal event that promotes connections, diversity and inclusion through music," Mr. Green continued.
"We all aspire to keep the Eurovision Song Contest positive and inclusive and aspire to show the world as it could be, rather than how it necessarily is."
*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
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