Members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) will vote in November on whether Israel can participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna next year. The EBU, which emphasizes political neutrality, is facing controversy related to the war in Gaza. The vote will happen during a special online meeting of the EBU’s General Assembly, and it specifically concerns the Israeli public broadcaster KAN, the only EBU member from Israel.
EBU members received a letter from president Delphine Ernotte-Cunci explaining that the executive board couldn’t find a common position on KAN’s participation and decided a broader democratic decision was necessary.
Recently, Spain’s state broadcaster RTVE announced it would withdraw from the 2026 contest if Israel participated. Spain joins four other countries—The Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland, and Ireland—that have made similar statements. The EBU has received requests to exclude Israel from the contest, including from Austrian singer JJ, the winner of this year’s competition. Additionally, a UN Commission stated that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, which Israel has denied.
With information from Reuters