as long as they kick of Shetifa...she's terrible.

With great respect to the decision taken by these exceptional human beings who have lit up the contest with their music and their talent.
Wishing them all the very best

the Eurovision has been held since 1956 on a Saturday evening -
Doesn't matter whether its hosted in Tel Aviv or Timbuktoo last minute rehearsals etc obviously take place over shabbat- the whole logistics of planning a TV coverage that spans numerous countries,checks etc demand this.
To play the blind- down syndrome card is a cheap way of journalism as if this band was deliberately forced out.You know when you perform this is what is required .
And if you are orthodox why did you apply to be in the contest in the first place knowing full well it falls over shabbat?

Let's get it straight and stop this bad type of content and hysteria driven reporting.

This band was never in Eurovision, has nothing to do with Eurovision.

This wonderful band was in an Israeli competition to secure the Israeli spot or nomination to compete at Eurovision.

By the bands own words they never expected to get so far in the competition. They were aware of the shabbat rehearsal for Eurovision and so we everyone else involved.

The news media and the MK is making this into a big hoopla.

Eurovision rules and scheduled have been in place for years and years, having nothing to do with politics and religion.

Imagine you advertised for a position at your company. Lets say you were in America. Where a M-F just is normal. Your advertisement also said that the position was M-F. During the interview you discussed the jobs and the hours.

When you hired this person they told you they could not work Friday afternoon.

Who is wrong here.. the person knowing the requirements who applied and accepted the job or the employer who was upfront and hired someone to do a specific job at a specific time.

There was no religion, no sex, on rights violated here. Anyone can always say I am sorry, I am not able to accept the position because I can not not work on Friday afternoon.

Competing in Eurovision is not a requirement or a necessity for anyone.

Perhaps the Israeli TV show should have been specific with their contestants and had them sign a waiver before competing.

The band knew the requirements, it was not a surprise to them.

You also failed to mention in this article that in the past there have been 2 Orthodox competitors, who received dispensation for their Rabbi to compete on Shabbat.

I think this is an important piece of information that should have been included in your article, if you are reporting information and honesty...or are you just looking for hyped headlines like you did in the headline for this article.

Israeli band with special needs members drops out of Eurovision over Shabbat performance..

The band was never in Eurovision, the band dropped our of a local competition to maybe win the right to compete at Eurovision. The band had no association with Eurovision.

Did you expect anything different from European anti-Semites?

Is would be laughable if it weren't so sad... The Jewish State as the hosts of Eurovision can't request a schedule change to allow for Shabbat observance? Israel will allow discrimination of Sabbath observant Jews in our own land? Such a disgrace.