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2d ago

EBU Calls November Vote on Israel’s Eurovision 2026 Participation

Boycott threats now force members to decide KAN’s status under contested voting rules.

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Yuval Raphael, representing Israel, performs "New Day Will Rise", during the Grand Final of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland, May 17, 2025. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
Pro-Palestinian protestors hold flags and a sign on a motorway overpass outside the RTE (Radio Telefis Eireann) Irish public service broadcaster television studios, in Dublin, Ireland, September 11, 2025. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File Photo

Overview

  • The European Broadcasting Union confirmed an extraordinary online General Assembly in early November to vote on whether Israeli broadcaster KAN can take part in the 2026 contest.
  • The decision could exclude Israel from Vienna 2026; an EBU spokesperson said an absolute majority would suffice, while KAN argues the statutes require a 75% supermajority.
  • Broadcasters in Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia have threatened to withdraw if Israel competes, with Spain becoming the first Big Five member to signal a boycott.
  • Germany and Austria back Israel’s participation, and the BBC has not declared a position as divisions deepen across major public broadcasters.
  • ORF says the Vienna event will proceed regardless of the number of entrants; the EBU president cited an unprecedented diversity of views after protests at the Malmö 2024 and Basel 2025 contests.