Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation

Summary

Israel's national broadcaster experienced a cyberattack during its Eurovision Song Contest semi-final webcast, with hackers displaying animated satellite images of explosions in Tel Aviv accompanied by threatening audio. The intrusion, attributed by the broadcaster to Hamas militants, disrupted the digital stream but did not affect television broadcasts. The attackers targeted the event amid broader pro-Palestinian boycott calls protesting Israeli policies. The broadcaster regained control of the webcast within minutes, and the competition proceeded without further disruption. An unrelated fatal accident involving a technician occurred during the event preparations, though it was not connected to the cyber incident.

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Description

On May 14, 2019, during the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (Kan) experienced a cyberattack targeting its digital webcast. Hackers disrupted the online broadcast by inserting animated satellite footage depicting explosions across Tel Aviv, accompanied by threatening audio. The intrusion did not impact the conventional television broadcast within Israel or internationally. Kan CEO Eldad Koblenz attributed the attack to Hamas militants, though the Palestinian group issued no immediate comment. The hack occurred amid heightened tensions following a recent three-day escalation between Hamas and Israel, involving rocket fire from Gaza and Israeli airstrikes. Koblenz stated that Kan regained control of the webcast within minutes, preventing further disruptions. The semi-final proceeded without additional incidents, with ten countries advancing to the finals.

The incident unfolded against a backdrop of pro-Palestinian boycott campaigns urging nations and artists to avoid the Tel Aviv-hosted event, citing objections to Israeli policies. These efforts included calls for Madonna to cancel her planned guest performance at the final, which she rejected, asserting she would not let politics dictate her artistic engagements. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), organizer of Eurovision, did not disclose specific viewership figures for the semi-final but noted 186 million global viewers had watched the 2018 event’s semi-finals and final combined. Separately, Kan confirmed the death of an Israeli truck driver injured on May 13 while unloading technical equipment at the Eurovision venue, extending condolences to his family while emphasizing ongoing safety coordination with authorities.

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