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Originally Posted by Hom3r
It's the Eurovision Song Contest, not the European Union song contest.
It's for countries in Europe, how Israel a country in the Middle East qualifies I'll never know.
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It's really the European Broadcasting Union Song Contest, and as Israel have a media group as a member it's why they can participate.
Morocco have entered once in the past as they're also a member.
https://www.theguardian.com/notesand...,-1900,00.html
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THE RIGHT to participate in the contest is contingent on membership of the European Broadcasting Union. The statutes of the Union limit membership "primarily ... to organisations in the European Broadcasting Area. This area, as defined by the International Telecommunications Union, extends from the Atlantic to the meridian 40 deg E. It is bounded on the south by the 30th parallel." Jerusalem, the official headquarters of Israeli Television, is 35 deg E, and on the 32nd parallel. This definition also allows for participation by Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, the Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia. Israeli participation deters these countries on a point of principle, although Morocco did enter in 1980 when Israel withdrew for Passover.
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Doesn't really explain why Australia can enter though, but that's likely a pure commercial reason.