EBU to vote on Israel's Eurovision participation amid calls for boycott
Member broadcasters to decide eligibility in November as some countries threaten to skip the contest over Gaza war
Eurovision Song Contest organizers say member countries will vote in November on which nations can participate next year, as calls mount for Israel to be excluded over the war in Gaza. Spokesman Dave Goodman said in an email Friday that the board of the European Broadcasting Union, which brings together public broadcasters, has sent a letter to members indicating that the vote will take place at an extraordinary general meeting held online in early November.
Countries including Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain have threatened not to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest unless Israel is excluded from the competition over the war in Gaza. The vote will determine eligibility to compete in 2026, Goodman said.
Eurovision 2026 is scheduled to be held in May in Vienna, with hosting honors going to the previous year's winner. The winner this year in Basel, Switzerland, was Austria's JJ for the song 'Wasted Love.' A photo shows Yuval Raphael from Israel arriving for the Grand Final; pro-Palestinian demonstrators burned representations of the U.S. and Israeli flags during protests on the day of the final. Russia was banned from Eurovision after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, illustrating how geopolitical tensions have long shadowed the competition. More details and reaction are expected as the vote approaches.