Overview

• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the exclusion debate a scandal and said Israel belongs in the competition.
• Broadcasters in Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Iceland, and Slovenia have urged Israel’s removal and threatened to boycott if it competes.
• Denmark’s public broadcaster DR said it will not support removing Israel as long as it complies with EBU rules.
• An ARD-Deutschlandtrend poll found 65% of Germans oppose punishing Israeli artists or athletes by barring them from major events.
• Protests over Israel’s 2025 entry and voting controversies, including Israel winning the public televote but finishing second overall, pushed the EBU to call the extraordinary member vote.