The future of Israel’s participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest may be decided this week as members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) meet amid growing pressure from several countries threatening to withdraw over the Gaza war.
The EBU has convened broadcasters to examine a new set of rules aimed at preventing governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting entries to influence voting.
The move follows controversy surrounding Israel’s second-place finish this year. If members are not convinced the changes are sufficient, the EBU said a vote on participation will take place, without naming Israel directly.
Public broadcasters in Slovenia, Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands have warned they will boycott next year’s contest in Austria if Israel is allowed to compete, citing concern over the Palestinian death toll in Gaza, which has surpassed 70,000, according to Gaza health authorities.
Eurovision, watched annually by around 150 million viewers worldwide, traditionally projects itself as a non-political event. However, the conflict in Gaza has pulled the competition into political debate. Analysts say withdrawals by major European participants, including Spain, could significantly impact audience numbers and sponsorship.
This year, critics accused Israel of unfairly boosting the performance of its entrant Yuval Raphael.
“We very much hope the package of measures will assure members that we have taken strong action to protect the neutrality and impartiality of the Song Contest,” the EBU told Reuters.
Broadcasters have reacted differently to the EBU’s proposed reforms. Luxembourg’s RTL has backed the changes, while Norway’s NRK described the direction of reform as “promising”.
A broadcasting industry source told Reuters that Germany would likely withdraw and not air the contest if Israel is excluded. German broadcaster ARD did not comment. Austrian host broadcaster ORF has said it wants Israel to take part.
The Israeli foreign ministry has not commented on the matter.