In a vote at the board on April 28th of this year, the Icelandic broadcaster RÚV decided to ask its Director-General to vote in favour of Israel’s exclusion from Eurovision and/or the EBU, should such a subject arise.
A short majority in favour of a direct approach
Nine voting members of RÚV’s board met on April 28th (two of them in videoconference), with a few extra observers from the broadcasting corporation. The minutes of the meeting were only published recently, hence the delay in reporting from Iceland’s news network and Eurovision community websites.
The fourth topic at the meeting was on Eurovision. The board members were given a presentation by RÚV’s Director-General Stefán Eiríksson on the recent history of the contest and of Israel’s participation in it. According to him, it is very likely that the topic of Israel’s participation will be part of discussions in EBU meetings, possibly in the next General Assembly meeting (planned for July 3rd and 4th in Church House, London). As of now, the planning for the event does confirm a slot for Eurovision on the first day, with a presentation from Martin Green (ESC Director) followed by a “panel discussion on challenges and opportunities“.
Should the topic of Israel’s participation in the contest or even of Israel’s membership in the EBU arise, the board has instructed the Director-General and RÚV in general to support such a decision. The exact proposition is the following:
The Board thanks the Director-General for his report on the state of affairs regarding participation in the Eurovision Song Contest organized by the EBU. The Board of Directors makes the following recommendations to RÚV:
RÚV’s board decision regarding debates on Israel’s participation at Eurovision and/or membership in the EBU
1) If a proposal is made at the EBU level to expel the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation from the organization and/or the Song Contest due to the Israeli government’s actions towards the residents of the Gaza Strip, the Board of Directors will recommend that RÚV support such a proposal after consulting the Board. It refers to the precedent set against Russia and Belarus due to the unacceptable actions of those countries.
Five out of nine voted in favour of the proposition, making it a majority decision:
- Stefán Jón Hafstein
- Diljá Ámundadóttir Zoega
- Heimir Már Pétursson
- Kristin Sóley Björnsdóttir
- Auður Finnbogadóttir
The minutes do not specify whether this was a 5-4 vote or a 5-0 vote (with the four other members abstaining). It is likely it was the latter, as a second vote on the same topic detailed the ayes and the nays.
A political decision out of the board’s hands?
Indeed, the four opponents were not necessarily against the idea of supporting Israel’s exclusion, but objected on the method. They considered that the Director-General should consult RÚV’s shareholders, represented by the Icelandic Minister of Culture. Their counter-proposition only got support from the four of them, while the five members listed earlier voted against it.
These four members were:
- Ingbar Smári Birgisson
- Eiríkur S. Svavarsson
- Unnur Brá Konráðsdóttir
- Silja Dögg Gunnarsdóttir
Birgisson submitted the porposition, Svavarsson (an attorney outside of the board) asked that his opinion on the topic be put on record:
Eiríkur Svavarsson took note of the majority board proposal regarding the recommendation that the Director-General should support the expulsion of Israel from the EBU. I believe that the board does not have the authority to make this decision, which is an inherently political decision, and it is right that the Director-General should consult with the Minister on it, as was done when Russia was expelled from Eurovision in 2022.
Eiríkur S. Svavarsson’s objection on the RÚV’s board decision
Consultation from the early 2022 minutes do not seem to mention Russia’s exclusion, but it is possible the Director-General did ask the Minister of Culture at the time, without a decision from the board.
In any case, the bone of contention is very technical, as it is very likely that the Minister of Culture would ask RÚV to support Israel’s exclusion. But this time, the approach by the Icelandic broadcaster is more direct.
Do you support RÚV’s decision? Should public broadcasters take such a decision alone in the name of their independence, or should such an independence limit their ability to take decisions that could be seen as political? Tell us more in the comments below or on social media at @escxtra!
