Eurovision members facing major decision over Israel's future at contest as boycott threats loom
Countries including Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands have threatened to boycott Eurovision 2026 if Israel is allowed to remain in the competition.
National broadcasters behind the Eurovision Song Contest will meet today to discuss whether Israel will be allowed to compete next year.
Held by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises Eurovision, the two-day meeting in Geneva comes as countries including Ireland, Slovenia, Spain and the Netherlands threaten to boycott the competition over Israel’s continued participation.
In November, the EBU announced changes to voting rules address member concerns over state interference. The new measures are intended to discourage “disproportionate third-party influence, including government-backed campaigns”.
Though not mentioned by name in the statement, the tightening of the rules follows allegations that Israel artificially boosted their entry during Eurovision 2025. As a result of the public vote Israel’s 2025 entrant, Yuval Raphael - a survivor of the October 7 attack by Hamas - came in second place, leading critics to question the transparency of the voting system.
The EBU had originally planned to convene and vote on the issue last month. However, the decision was postponed until today’s meeting, after a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas was reached in October.
At the 95th EBU General Assembly, members will be asked to consider if they feel the new measures are adequate. If this cannot be agreed, a vote may be held regarding Israel’s future at Eurovision.
Make sure you don't miss a moment of breaking news from across Scotland by signing up to our free newsletter here.
Several countries including Spain could withdraw from Eurovision if Israel competes
Going into the meeting, a number of broadcasters have already stated their intention to withdraw from Eurovision should Israel be allowed to compete in 2026.
This includes Spain, one of the Eurovision “Big Five” countries, which make the largest financial contributions to Eurovision each year.
Spain’s national broadcaster RTVE have already said that the rule changes are insufficient, pledging to withdraw from next year’s competition if Israel is allowed to remain. Speaking to a parliamentary commission, RTVE president José Pablo López said Israel’s position in Eurovision was “untenable” and calling its actions in Gaza a genocide.
He said: “As President of the (RTVE) corporation, I keep thinking that Eurovision is a contest, but human rights are not a contest.”
Also arguing that Israel had used Eurovision politically, something which the competition aims to avoid, López said: "Israel has used the contest politically, has tried to influence the result and has not been sanctioned for this action, which has taken place in at least the last two years.
"Any other country that had carried out this use of the contest, I assure you that it would have been sanctioned and temporarily suspended."
Public broadcasters from countries including from Slovenia, Ireland and the Netherlands have also threatened a boycott of Eurovision 2026 if Israel is allowed to take part, citing concerns over issues including press freedoms and Palestinian deaths.
Angus Robertson, the Scottish Government’s Culture Secretary, has also urged the UK to boycott Eurovision next year.
Israel have consistently denied accusations of genocide in Gaza, where more than 70,000 people have been killed according to Gaza health authorities.
Germany in support of Israel’s presence at Eurovision 2026
While several countries have shared their intention to withdraw from Eurovision 2026 should Israel compete, Germany has supported Israel’s participation.
Speaking to reporters, the German Minister of State for Culture, Wolfram Weimer, said: “Israel belongs in the Eurovision Song Contest. There must be no ESC without Israel.”
It is thought that if Israel is excluded Germany will also withdraw from the competition. Like Spain, Germany is also a “Big Five” country, providing significant financial support to Eurovision.
Next year’s host country Austria has also shared support for Israel. Meanwhile, countries such as Finland state they will only take part if the proposed rules are implemented alongside additional safety guarantees.
Israel is said to be preparing for the competition next year, with sources inside Israeli broadcaster KAN telling Reuters that they believed discussions about Israel’s exclusion were “unjustified” and that it was fully compliant with EBU rules.
Under the Eurovision rule changes, an expanded professional jury will be reintroduced at the semi-finals, holding around 50% of the vote while the other half will remain open to the public. In addition, audience members will now have a maximum of 10, rather than 20 votes to cast.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.