BDS Cyprus and 10 other organisations have called on state broadcaster CyBC to withdraw from Eurovision 2027 unless Israel’s public broadcaster KAN is banned, and to push for a review of KAN’s eligibility before the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) General Assembly on 3 and 4 December.
In an open letter dated Saturday and addressed to CyBC’s chairman, president and board, the groups said the broadcaster had not answered questions BDS Cyprus put to it on 28 September.
BDS Cyprus asked what position CyBC took at the EBU General Assembly in December 2025 and who authorised it. It also asked whether CyBC’s new board had reviewed its position on KAN, and whether CyBC would raise or support a formal review of KAN’s eligibility ahead of the 2027 contest. That letter followed an appeal in April 2026 by nine Cypriot civil society organisations.
The EBU confirmed on 28 October that 36 broadcasters, including CyBC and KAN, would take part in Eurovision 2027. The groups said this made their questions more urgent, as CyBC had not publicly said whether its newly appointed board had reviewed or authorised its participation.
The EBU excluded Russia from Eurovision in 2022, arguing that its participation would bring the contest into disrepute. The groups contrast that decision with Israel’s continued participation, citing what they call genocide in Gaza and serious violations of international law in the occupied West Bank. “How can the EBU reconcile these decisions with its stated commitment to political neutrality?” they wrote.
They said KAN had faced allegations that its coverage endorsed Israeli military operations and celebrated the destruction of Gaza, and that Israel’s participation had been used for government-backed political messaging.
Five European public broadcasters boycotted Eurovision 2026 over Israel’s participation, and Ireland and the Netherlands have confirmed they will not take part in 2027. Iceland has not registered either, following its broadcaster’s decision to support a continued boycott unless Israel is excluded, according to the letter.
The groups asked CyBC to formally request a review of KAN’s eligibility from the Eurovision Reference Group and the Television Committee under the 2022 ‘disrepute’ standard, citing International Court of Justice measures, UN-sourced casualty figures and documented KAN editorial incidents. They also asked it to seek clarity from the EBU that the contest’s apolitical nature does not shield broadcasters from review, and to tell Cypriot audiences that its position seeks consistency, neutrality and the long-term credibility of the contest.
The letter was signed by BDS Cyprus, AFOA, Anatropi, Cyprus Palestine Solidarity Action, the Cyprus Peace Council, Far Right Watch, Global Sumud Cyprus, Genocide Free Cyprus, NEDA, United for Palestine and Queer Collective.
