Overview
- Education Minister Karin Prien, speaking in Israel, called excluding Israel from the contest fundamentally wrong and politically problematic.
- Prien warned that a ban would penalize Jewish artists and scientists who are not Israeli, which she said carries antisemitic overtones.
- She said Germany insists on Israel’s participation and would forgo its own entry if Israel were barred.
- Spain, the Netherlands and Ireland have threatened to boycott if Israel competes, while Israel has signaled it intends to participate.
- The European Broadcasting Union will seek a final decision with members in December after scrapping a planned November session, with the 2026 event to be hosted in Austria.