European Broadcasting Union ECONOMIC

Target: European Broadcasting Union (EBU) Domain: Economic Research date: 23 October 2026 Geographic focus: Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories

Supply Chain & Sourcing Relationships

Direct supplier relationships

The EBU’s documented economic relationships with Israel principally concern broadcasting and international entertainment rather than agricultural procurement: its Israeli member KAN participates in Eurovision, and commercial arrangements surrounding Israeli participation include national television production and international event sponsorship.^{1, 2, 3}

No public evidence identified of EBU procurement from Mehadrin, Hadiklaim, Galilee Export, Agrexco successors or other Israeli agricultural exporters.

Israeli commercial sponsorship

Moroccanoil was identified as Eurovision’s presenting partner in reporting from May 2024, with RTVSLO questioning the role of sponsors in the competition.⁴

Reporting published in November 2024 identified Moroccanoil among Eurovision 2025’s international sponsors.⁵

In August 2025, ESCplus reported confirmation from Eurovision’s press department that Moroccanoil would continue sponsoring the contest in 2026; the broadcaster organisation did not disclose commercial contract details.⁶

Subsequent reporting confirmed Moroccanoil’s status as presenting partner for the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, describing 2026 as the sixth contest in the relationship.⁷

The sponsorship relationship therefore continued after the ICJ advisory opinion of 19 July 2024 and the ICC arrest warrants issued in November 2024, although the available documents do not quantify sponsorship payments.^{5, 6, 7}

Israeli domestic production and intermediary relationships

In March 2022, KAN conducted a tender relating to Eurovision 2023 selection arrangements; contemporary reporting identified Keshet and Reshet as broadcasters that did not submit bids and described proposed production, delegation and promotional expenditure obligations.⁸

The reported tender included minimum spending requirements of 30,000 shekels for a song recording and 180,000 shekels for a music video, alongside additional delegation, staging and broadcasting obligations; those figures concerned KAN’s proposed domestic selection arrangements rather than a verified EBU procurement contract.⁸

In June 2023, reporting confirmed the return of the Israeli television programme HaKokhav HaBa as the selection mechanism for Eurovision 2024, with KAN working through a commercial television arrangement associated with the costs of participation.⁹

In December 2024, reporting identified KAN and Keshet jointly contacting prospective songwriters for Israel’s 2025 Eurovision entry.¹⁰

No public evidence identified that the EBU directly contracted Keshet or Reshet under these arrangements.

Importer of record

No public evidence identified of an EBU-owned Israeli import subsidiary, joint venture or dedicated importer of record for physical goods.

Seasonal sourcing

No public evidence identified of recurring seasonal procurement by the EBU of Israeli agricultural products.

Third-party sourcing

The documented indirect economic relationships concern sponsorship and television-production arrangements associated with EBU-organised Eurovision events; no public evidence identified of Israeli-origin retail products reaching an EBU-operated distribution network.^{6, 8, 10}

On 13 August 2026, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) confirmed to ESCplus that Israeli-founded haircare company Moroccanoil had decided not to renew its Eurovision Song Contest presenting-partner sponsorship for 2027, ending a commercial relationship spanning six contest editions: Rotterdam 2021, Turin 2022, Liverpool 2023, Malmö 2024, Basel 2025 and Vienna 2026. Eurovision communications chief Dave Goodman confirmed that Moroccanoil initiated the non-renewal and expressed the organisation’s appreciation for six years of cooperation. Norwegian reporting independently documented the same confirmation in an email from Eurovision organisers to NRK. The decision establishes that the sponsorship relationship concluded after the 2026 edition, with no renewal for 2027.^{11, 12, 13}

Product Origin, Labeling & Regulatory Compliance

Settlement-origin products

No public evidence identified of goods sourced, imported or distributed by the EBU from settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, or the occupied Golan Heights.

Country-of-origin labeling

No public evidence identified of a DEFRA, customs or other regulatory enforcement action against the EBU concerning the labeling of Israeli or settlement-origin products.

Corporate sourcing policy

No public evidence identified of an EBU policy specifically regulating the procurement or labeling of goods originating from Israeli settlements.

Broadcasting and promotional compliance

In February 2025, KAN announced that the EBU had approved Israel’s Eurovision 2025 entry; contemporary reporting contrasted this with the revisions required to obtain approval for Israel’s 2024 entry.¹⁴

Earlier reporting from March 2024 documented KAN’s decision to revise previously rejected submissions to meet Eurovision rules.¹⁵

On 9 May 2026, Eurovision organisers issued an EBU statement saying that promotional videos instructing viewers to vote ten times for Israel had been withdrawn following EBU intervention and that KAN received a formal warning.¹⁶

These matters concern Eurovision programme rules and promotional conduct; they do not establish violations of product-origin or settlement-labeling regulations.^{14, 15, 16}

Investment, Capital & Financial Exposure

Foreign direct investment

No public evidence identified of an EBU acquisition, equity investment, factory, data centre, logistics facility or real-estate investment in Israel or the occupied territories.

Israeli operating subsidiaries and controlling interests

No public evidence identified of an Israeli operating company acquired by the EBU or held as a controlled subsidiary.

KAN is identified in EBU-authored correspondence dated 25 April 2025 as a full and active member broadcaster; the correspondence describes membership and Eurovision eligibility without identifying KAN as an EBU-owned company.¹

Moroccanoil’s documented relationship is commercial sponsorship, and the available reporting does not identify an EBU ownership interest in the sponsor.^{6, 7}

No public evidence identified of Israeli manufacturing subsidiaries, associated acquisition prices, ownership percentages or subsidiary employee and revenue figures attributable to the EBU.

Research and development

No public evidence identified of an EBU-owned research laboratory, technology accelerator or dedicated R&D centre in Israel.

Financial contribution through broadcaster participation

The EBU’s April 2025 correspondence confirms that KAN’s membership provides eligibility to participate in Eurovision; the Israeli broadcaster has participated in the competition since 1973.¹

In December 2025, Eurovoix reported the EBU’s confirmation to NRK that the 2026 Eurovision participation fees would not increase because of broadcaster withdrawals; the reporting describes broadcaster payments ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of euros depending on the participating organisation.¹⁷

The available source does not identify the specific amount charged to KAN in 2026.¹⁷

The documented fee structure establishes that participating broadcasters contribute financially to Eurovision, while the amount and contractual allocation of KAN’s payments remain undisclosed in the reviewed material.^{1, 17}

Portfolio holdings and sovereign financing

No public evidence identified of EBU holdings in Israeli-domiciled companies, Israeli sovereign bonds or Israel-focused investment funds.

No public evidence identified of EBU underwriting of Israeli sovereign debt, distribution of Israel Bonds, lending to Israeli defence companies or insurance underwriting for Israeli military or settlement operations.

Controlling principals

No public evidence identified of a material Israeli corporate investment by an EBU founder, president, director general or controlling board principal that could be attributed to the organisation under the requested economic-forensics criteria.

Operational Presence & Market Activity

Israeli market relationship

KAN’s status as an EBU member and Eurovision participant establishes an ongoing institutional and commercial relationship with an Israeli public broadcaster; an EBU letter dated 25 April 2025 explicitly defended KAN’s continued eligibility.¹

KAN confirmed its participation in Eurovision 2025 during June 2024, extending the relationship beyond the beginning of the Gaza war.¹⁸

In December 2025, reporting confirmed that the EBU’s General Assembly had approved revised Eurovision rules without a separate vote excluding Israel, enabling the Israeli broadcaster to continue participating in 2026.¹⁹

Contemporary reporting documented that Israel remained in Eurovision following the December 2025 decision.²⁰

Event participation and commercial activity

Eurovision 2026 included Israeli participation despite withdrawals by several other broadcasters; reporting in December 2025 identified Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain among the countries withdrawing after the EBU decision.²¹

Iceland’s public broadcaster RÚV announced on 10 December 2025 that it would also withdraw from the 2026 competition because of Israel’s continued participation.²²

On 15 May 2026, Spain’s culture minister publicly criticised the EBU decision allowing Israel to compete, confirming that the participation controversy continued during the 2026 event.²³

These events establish the continuing availability of EBU-administered Eurovision participation to KAN after both July and November 2024.^{1, 19, 23}

Israeli production ecosystem

In December 2024, KAN announced that it would not participate in Junior Eurovision 2025, citing costs and its preference to devote resources to domestic children’s television productions.³

The decision documents an Israeli broadcaster’s allocation of production expenditure between international Eurovision participation and domestic programming; it does not disclose a payment made by the EBU to KAN.³

Physical footprint

No public evidence identified of an EBU-owned office, warehouse, retail location, production studio or permanent operational facility in Israel or the occupied territories.

Employment

No public evidence identified of a separately disclosed EBU workforce employed in Israel.

Israeli tax registration

No public evidence identified of direct EBU Israeli corporate tax residency, Preferred Technology Enterprise status, Israeli VAT registration or a separately reported Israeli income-tax contribution.

Market positioning

The EBU’s correspondence describes KAN as an eligible member broadcaster and treats its Eurovision participation as part of the organisation’s membership framework; it does not classify Israel as a strategic investment market or a regional commercial headquarters.¹

The official 2026 Eurovision participation record confirms that Israel competed in the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna on 16 May 2026. Israeli representative Noam Bettan performed “Michelle”, qualified from the first semi-final in first place with 269 points, and finished second in the Grand Final with 343 points. Host broadcaster ORF independently confirmed Israel’s second-place finish behind Bulgaria. This establishes actual participation rather than merely prospective eligibility and directly confirms the existing statement under “Event participation and commercial activity” that “Eurovision 2026 included Israeli participation despite withdrawals by several other broadcasters”, previously supported by the 4 December 2025 SWI swissinfo.ch/EFE report in End Note 18. No correction to that statement is necessary; the completed competition provides subsequent confirmation of the outcome anticipated in December 2025.^{24, 25, 21}

Corporate Structure & Foundational Ties

Founding and legal identity

The EBU identifies itself in correspondence dated April 2025 as an alliance of public service media organisations, with its correspondence address at Le Grand-Saconnex, Geneva, Switzerland.¹

The organisation’s documented governance involves member broadcasters and decisions concerning participation in the Eurovision Song Contest; it is not described in the correspondence as an Israeli-incorporated company.¹

No public evidence identified of the EBU having been founded or originally incorporated in Israel.

Israeli-Nexus Floor factors

Founded in Israel: no public evidence identified.

Israeli headquarters or principal management: The EBU’s official April 2025 correspondence provides its headquarters address in Geneva, Switzerland.¹

Israeli tax residency or Preferred Technology Enterprise status: no public evidence identified.

Israeli beneficial ownership or control: The EBU describes itself as a member-led broadcasting organisation, and KAN is identified as a member rather than an owner.¹

Governance and state relationships

In its April 2025 correspondence, the EBU stated that KAN was under criticism from the Israeli government and was resisting government efforts to privatise or close the broadcaster.¹

The same letter distinguished participation by broadcasters from participation by governments and explained the EBU’s position on KAN’s continued eligibility.¹

In April 2024, the EBU publicly defended its responsibility for decisions on participating broadcasters, including KAN, amid controversy surrounding Eurovision artists.²

No public evidence identified of an Israeli government-appointed EBU board seat, Israeli state equity ownership, golden share or equivalent formal control mechanism.

Commercially significant governance decisions

The EBU’s December 2025 Eurovision rule reforms enabled the continued participation of eligible member broadcasters, including KAN, without holding an exclusion vote specifically concerning Israel.¹⁹

Contemporary reporting recorded the adoption of the changes despite objections from several participating broadcasters.^{19, 20}

The association’s governance decisions therefore maintained an existing institutional and commercial relationship with an Israeli member broadcaster into 2026.^{1, 19}

Group attribution

KAN and Moroccanoil are the principal named Israeli-linked organisations directly documented in the reviewed EBU-related commercial material.^{1, 6, 7}

KAN’s relationship arises from EBU membership and Eurovision participation, whereas Moroccanoil’s arises from commercial sponsorship.^{1, 6, 7}

No public evidence identified of a parent-subsidiary relationship connecting either organisation to the EBU.

Settlement-specific governance mechanisms

No public evidence identified of an EBU charter provision, voting arrangement or governance mechanism expressly requiring support for Israeli settlement enterprises.

Profit Repatriation & Economic Contribution

Revenue attributable to Israel

The EBU’s membership relationship with KAN and Eurovision’s participation-fee structure establish a mechanism through which Israeli broadcaster payments can contribute to the international competition’s financing.^{1, 17}

The exact annual payments attributable to KAN were not disclosed in the reviewed sources.¹⁷

Moroccanoil’s continuation as presenting partner in 2026 establishes a separate commercial sponsorship relationship associated with an Israeli-linked business.^{6, 7}

No verified amount was identified for the sponsorship contract, and the reviewed sources do not disclose the revenue share attributable to the EBU or the Eurovision event’s other contracting parties.^{6, 7}

Revenue from broadcasting rights

The documented relationship between KAN and Eurovision establishes participation in an international broadcasting event, but the reviewed correspondence and reporting do not disclose the financial consideration for KAN’s broadcasting rights.^{1, 18}

No public evidence identified of a separately reported EBU revenue line for the Israeli market.

Profit flows

The relationship between KAN and Eurovision involves an Israeli broadcaster participating in an EBU-administered competition with an established broadcaster-fee structure.^{1, 17}

The sponsorship relationship involves Moroccanoil providing commercial support to Eurovision, with the precise payment structure and contracting parties undisclosed.^{6, 7}

No public evidence identified of dividends, equity distributions or profits repatriated by the EBU to an Israeli parent company.

No public evidence identified of EBU profits earned from settlement operations or transferred to settlement-based companies.

Israeli domestic economic activity

The 2022 KAN tender documents reported by Eurovoix contemplated expenditure on recording, videos, staging, security, accommodation and delegation services for Eurovision participation.⁸

The subsequent use of HaKokhav HaBa and cooperation with Keshet demonstrates that Israeli domestic entertainment businesses participate commercially in the selection and production process.^{9, 10}

These reported expenditures and arrangements are attributable to KAN’s domestic Eurovision preparations; they do not establish that the EBU directly paid the Israeli suppliers.^{8, 9, 10}

Economic ecosystem role

Moroccanoil’s presenting-partner relationship connects a business identified in specialist reporting as Israeli-linked with the commercial sponsorship of the Eurovision Song Contest.^{4, 6, 7}

KAN’s participation connects an Israeli public broadcaster and associated domestic television-production companies to the EBU’s international entertainment and broadcasting framework.^{1, 9, 10}

The EBU’s decision to maintain KAN’s eligibility through Eurovision 2026 confirms that these institutional relationships remained active after the July 2024 ICJ advisory opinion and November 2024 ICC arrest warrants.^{1, 19, 23}

No public evidence identified of a quantified EBU contribution to Israeli GDP, employment, corporation-tax receipts, military procurement or settlement-related economic activity.

Financial-sector and settlement exposure

No public evidence identified of the EBU acting as an underwriter, investment manager, lender, insurer or distributor of Israeli sovereign bonds.

No public evidence identified of direct EBU economic activity in settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, or the occupied Golan Heights.