Overview
- Germany’s chancellor told ARD he would support a German withdrawal if Israel is excluded, calling the debate a scandal and saying Israel must participate.
- The EBU has brought forward a virtual all-members meeting for early November to vote on Israel’s eligibility using a more-than-50% threshold.
- Broadcasters in Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia have threatened to stay away if Israel competes as a protest over the war in Gaza.
- Austria as host, along with Greece and Italy, has publicly defended Israel’s right to take part in the 2026 contest in Vienna.
- Germany’s position carries financial weight as a Big Five member, and a Deutschlandtrend poll shows 65% of Germans oppose penalizing Israeli artists at major events.