The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) General Assembly confirmed on Thursday that Israel will participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, despite appeals from several countries.

The Spanish newspaper El País reports that the decision was made following an internal vote on the new Eurovision regulations.

This decision means Spain will not participate in next year’s edition after the president of the Spanish broadcaster RTVE, José Pablo López, reiterated last week that the country would not participate if Israel were involved. 

“We have maintained the same position for months: the presence of Israel is unsustainable,” emphasized the official in statements to RTVE at the end of November. “The Eurovision Song Contest is a competition. Human rights are not.”

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