Eurovision warns Israel over voting rule breach

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has issued a formal warning to Israel's Eurovision participant, Noam Bettan, over his song "Michelle." Bettan posted videos encouraging viewers to cast the maximum number of votes, ten, for his performance. The EBU clarified that while they believe this was not part of a large, third-party campaign, directly soliciting ten votes per artist or song goes against the spirit and rules of Eurovision.

Consequently, Israel's public broadcaster, KAN, which is responsible for the country's Eurovision entry, has received this official reprimand. This incident highlights the strict regulations governing the Eurovision Song Contest, particularly concerning voting procedures and promotional activities. The EBU's statement emphasizes the importance of fair play and adherence to the competition's established guidelines, ensuring a level playing field for all participating nations.

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Eurovisionens afstemningsregler vedrørende promovering har primært til formål at modvirke store finansierede kampagner fra tredjeparter, og vi er overbeviste om, at denne video ikke var en del af en sådan kampagne.

While the EBU acknowledges that Bettan's actions were likely not part of a coordinated, large-scale campaign, the direct appeal for maximum votes is seen as a breach of the contest's integrity. This serves as a reminder to all participants and their national broadcasters about the importance of respecting the rules and maintaining the spirit of the competition. The EBU's swift action underscores their commitment to upholding the fairness and transparency of the Eurovision Song Contest.

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Det er dog hverken i overensstemmelse med vores regler eller konkurrencens ånd at bruge en direkte opfordring til at stemme ti gange på én artist eller sang, lyder det.