Overview

• Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia have signaled they may skip the 2026 contest in Vienna if Israel competes, with Belgium and others weighing similar steps.
• Austria’s foreign minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger urged counterparts by urgent letter not to boycott, arguing the ESC is the wrong forum for sanctions and saying she will raise the issue at the UN General Assembly.
• Germany’s culture state minister Wolfram Weimer rejected calls to exclude Israel, warning against turning the event into a “tribunal,” while Holocaust survivor representatives said the exclusion debate applies a double standard.
• The EBU says it will decide at its December General Assembly after consultations; Israel’s broadcaster KAN intends to participate and is deemed to meet the union’s independence criteria.
• Underscoring cultural fissures, Russia staged a state-backed Intervision in Moscow with more than 20 countries, where Vietnam’s Duc Phuc won and organizers announced plans for a 2026 edition in Saudi Arabia.