Countries boycott Eurovision 2026 after EBU confirms Israel’s participation

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has confirmed that Israel will be permitted to compete in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, despite growing calls for its exclusion. The decision has sparked immediate backlash from several member broadcasters, with the Netherlands’ AVROTROS and Spain’s RTVE announcing their withdrawal from next year’s event. Ireland’s national broadcaster previously warned that it would also boycott if Israel were allowed to participate, while Slovenia and Iceland have hinted at taking similar steps.

The announcement followed a general assembly meeting of the EBU, where no formal vote was taken on Israel’s participation. The meeting also introduced new rules aimed at preventing government interference in the voting process. These changes come after allegations that the Israeli government influenced voting during the 2025 contest, held in Basel, Switzerland, in which Israeli performer Yuval Raphael won the public vote but ultimately placed second after jury votes were counted.

Representatives from Israel’s broadcasting body KAN, including CEO Golan Yochpaz and EBU delegate Ayala Mizrahi, attended the assembly to defend Israel’s inclusion and counter efforts to ban it. The controversy over Israel’s participation continues to divide Eurovision members and audiences, raising broader questions about the contest’s political neutrality and the limits of cultural diplomacy in times of conflict.