A fierce dispute has erupted over the selection process of Israel's song for the Eurovision 2025 competition, as a leading group of creators in the Israeli music industry threatens to petition the Supreme Court against the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation. At the center of the controversy are claims regarding conflicts of interest and lack of anonymity in the selection process of the song, written by Keren Peles.
The group, led by creators Elad Trabelsi and Ron Biton, has already hired a lawyer and issued an ultimatum to the Corporation: either reopen the song selection process for the competition or face a Supreme Court petition. According to the creators, there are clear conflicts of interest in the committee that is supposed to choose the song anonymously.
The dispute has reached the desk of Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, who sent a letter to the Kan Corporation demanding full transparency in the selection process. In his letter, the Minister noted that the claims raised regarding the song selection process are serious and cause great concern. "It is unacceptable that talented creators invest efforts and resources believing in a fair process, only to end up frustrated by lack of transparency and conduct that raises suspicions of bias", wrote Karhi.
In an official response from the "Follow-up" desk at "Kan 11", the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation strongly rejected the claims. According to the response, the committee selecting Israel's Eurovision song consists mainly of senior music editors from the Corporation, senior television and production staff from Kan, and a public representative, none of whom are connected to any private production company. The Corporation emphasized that the committee is closely supervised by the Corporation's Deputy Legal Advisor throughout all its decisions and meetings.
The Corporation stated that the Israeli song selection process is anonymous and voting on the selected song is secret. This year, the Corporation noted, exceptionally, the winning song was chosen unanimously by all committee members. According to the Corporation, "This speaks for itself regarding the significant chance the judging panel gives to the song's success in the competition relative to other songs submitted to the committee".
Regarding the repeated selection of artists, the Corporation noted that over the years there have been many creators and performers who represented Israel more than once, even year after year. The Corporation added that Israel's successes in the competition in recent years, including first, third, and fifth place wins, testify more than anything to the professionalism of the selection team and the quality of their choices.
Communications Minister Karhi clarified that he "does not intend to proceed with other matters requiring his approval as if nothing happened, without receiving detailed answers to these claims". This position puts additional pressure on the Corporation to provide comprehensive clarifications regarding the selection process.
The dispute arises at a critical stage in preparations for the Eurovision 2025 competition, as the threat of a Supreme Court petition could affect the competition preparation timeline. The group of creators, who have already begun initial legal proceedings, is now awaiting the Corporation's response before advancing the Supreme Court petition.
The current crisis puts to the test the decision-making processes in the public broadcasting corporation and the level of transparency in selecting Israel's representation for the Eurovision competition. Developments in the coming weeks are expected to determine the nature of Israel's participation in the prestigious international competition.
Yuval Rafael and Keren Peles from "The Next Star" (Screenshot: Keshet)
