Yair Stern, the former director of the Israel Broadcasting Authority, said Tuesday he could not understand the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation's claims that it cannot afford to host the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest on its budget.
Interviewed by Radio 103FM, Stern explained, "When I was the director of the television I raised budgets from most of the countries that agreed to raise the purchase fee for the Eurovision Song Contest, The employees of Channel One performed an exceptional Eurovision that received compliments without using external production." He concluded, "Maybe we really won't have Eurovision and that's a pity."