Overview

• Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a TV interview that he would support Germany withdrawing from Eurovision if Israel is excluded.
• The European Broadcasting Union has called a virtual assembly for early November where members will vote on Israel's participation by simple majority.
• Public broadcasters in Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia have threatened to sit out if Israel competes, citing the war in Gaza.
• Germany is part of Eurovision's Big Five contributors, heightening the financial and organizational stakes of any withdrawal.
• Organizers say Israel's situation is not comparable to Russia's 2022 expulsion, and the 2026 show is scheduled to take place in Vienna in May.