Israel

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Eurovision Officials Visit Israel to Choose Site for Next Year’s Competition

Officials from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) toured three Israeli cities this week as they explored the options for next May’s Eurovision Song Contest, The Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday.

The EBU representatives inspected the Pais Arena in Jerusalem, toured the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds, and in Eilat they met with the city’s deputy mayor. Following the site inspections, Jon Ola Sand said: “We are open to out of the box solutions, as we were in the past, if they would meet the schedule.”

While Sand’s statement indicated that Eilat is still in the running, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are seen as the front-runners to host the contest. While touring Eilat, officials presented to the EBU an ambitious plan for a unique construction in Eilat port, making it suitable for hosting the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest.

However, the criteria published by the Israel Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) last month indicat that it will give a “significant advantage” to a city offering an existing venue. The criteria also state that the EBU has a non-flexible schedule, which includes a great deal of activity on the weekends, which could interfere with Shabbat protocol in Jerusalem.

The EBU is expected to announce the dates of the competition the same day it announces the host city, likely in early September. The decision must be approved by the Reference Group, the governing body of the contest on behalf of the participating broadcasters.

Israel won the right to host the 2019 contest after winning the event in Lisbon in May with Netta Barzilai’s rendition of “Toy.” It was the first time Israel had won the competition in 20 years. The Eurovision finale is expected to be held on either May 18 or May 25, to avoid conflict with Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day and Independence Day.

Israel’s three previous Eurovision triumphs occurred in 1978, for “A-Ba-Ni-Bi” performed by Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta; in 1979 (in Jerusalem) for “Hallelujah” performed by Milk and Honey; and in 1998, for Dana International’s rendition of “Diva.”

[Photo: BBC / YouTube ]