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2h ago

EBU Sets November Member Vote on Israel’s Place in Eurovision 2026

An extraordinary General Assembly will decide Israel’s eligibility by absolute majority after boycott threats split broadcasters.

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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

  • Member broadcasters will vote online in early November on whether Israel’s public broadcaster KAN may participate in next year’s contest in Vienna.
  • An EBU spokesperson says an absolute majority is needed to exclude KAN, contradicting KAN’s assertion that a 75% threshold applies.
  • Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia have threatened to withdraw if Israel competes, with Spain’s RTVE board already voting to pull out on those terms.
  • Host broadcaster ORF says the 2026 show will go ahead in Vienna regardless of the number of participants, with final confirmations now due in December.
  • KAN says it is continuing preparations and calls for the contest to remain non-political, following pro-Palestinian protests at Malmö 2024 and Basel 2025.