Overview

• An EBU spokesperson rejected reports that Israel had been asked to withdraw or compete under a neutral flag and said the union would seek a correction from Ynet.
• Spain’s culture minister urged RTVE to sit out Eurovision 2026 if Israel competes, aligning with threats from Ireland’s RTÉ, the Netherlands’ AVROTROS, Iceland’s RÚV and Slovenia’s RTVSLO.
• The EBU says it is still gathering members’ views and will make no decisions until the consultation ends, with a General Assembly in Geneva expected to weigh the issue in December.
• The contest’s stability could be tested if major funders withdraw, as Spain is part of Eurovision’s Big Five, while the BBC’s Tim Davie said the event should remain apolitical and backed the EBU process.
• Pressure intensified after the 2025 contest in Basel, where protests, audit demands and high-profile calls from former contestants and Austria’s winner JJ pushed for Israel’s exclusion.