The European Broadcast Union (EBU) has reversed its decision and will no longer hold an “extraordinary meeting” for member countries to deliberate on the inclusion or exclusion of Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest. This development follows the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel in Gaza.
A statement from the Austrian public broadcaster ORF, responsible for organizing Eurovision in 2026, states, “The decision will now be made by the General Assembly in December, as initially planned.”
“The European Broadcast Union today canceled the vote of all members, scheduled for November, regarding Israel’s participation or exclusion from the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna. The decision will now be made by the General Assembly in December, as initially planned,” the statement reads.
The EBU explained that “in light of recent developments in the Middle East, the board agreed that there is a clear need for an open and personal discussion among members about participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest.”
However, “the subject has been included in the agenda of the regular winter General Assembly, scheduled for December, and not in an extraordinary meeting before that date.”
Israel’s Participation in Eurovision Was to Be Voted on at an “Extraordinary Meeting” in November
It was announced at the end of September that the EBU decided to bring forward to November the meeting to discuss and vote on Israel’s participation in the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, which will take place in May in Vienna, Austria.
In a letter sent to member countries and published by the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung, the president of the EBU, Delphine Ernotte, stated that the Executive Council recognized “an unprecedented diversity of opinions” regarding the participation of the Israeli broadcaster KAN.
Highlighting that the EBU “has never faced a divided situation like this,” the official added that the Executive Council agreed Israel’s participation “deserves a wider democratic base for a decision, in which all members should have a say.”
Therefore, an extraordinary session of the General Assembly was to be held in early November for members to vote “on the issue of participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.”
Several Countries Threaten to Boycott Eurovision if Israel Participates
In recent months, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain joined Slovenia and Iceland in urging the European Broadcast Union (EBU) to expel the Middle Eastern country due to the offensive in Gaza.
The Dutch state broadcaster AVOTROS stated that it “cannot further justify Israel’s participation under the current situation, given the severe and ongoing human suffering in Gaza.”
Ireland’s public broadcaster RTÉ also stated that the country “will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 if Israel’s participation is confirmed.”
The latest position comes from Spain, with the RTVE Board of Administration announcing on Tuesday that it would boycott the Eurovision Song Contest in 2026 if Israel participates.
“Spain will withdraw from Eurovision if Israel remains in the contest,” wrote José Pablo López, president of RTVE, on the social network X.
Spain’s stance is significant as it becomes the first ‘Big 5’ country to announce a boycott. The ‘Big 5’ also includes the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy, which have public broadcasters contributing significant funds to the European Broadcast Union (EBU) and thus to organizing the Eurovision Song Contest.
