Overview

• Austria’s foreign minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger sent an urgent letter to counterparts in boycott‑threatening countries urging participation and plans to raise the issue at the UN General Assembly.
• Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain have said they may skip ESC 2026 if Israel competes, with Belgium and Sweden weighing similar moves.
• Germany’s culture minister Wolfram Weimer warned that excluding Israel would turn the contest into a tribunal and called boycott efforts a form of cancel culture.
• Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez urged excluding Israel from international cultural and sporting events, while Spain’s public broadcaster aligned with countries threatening to withdraw from ESC 2026.
• The EBU says eligibility hinges on broadcaster independence and has indicated Israel’s KAN meets that standard, while analysts note a Spanish pullout could hit the contest’s finances because Spain is a Big Five funder.