The Eurovision Song Contest, a staple of European culture for nearly seven decades, now finds itself at the center of a political and moral storm. On September 26, 2025, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) confirmed it will convene an extraordinary general meeting in early November to vote on whether Israel should participate in the 2026 competition. This unprecedented move comes amid a wave of calls for boycotts and mounting international scrutiny over Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza.
For years, Eurovision has prided itself on being an apolitical event, a rare occasion where "nations can put aside political differences for one evening and unite in song," as The New York Times notes. Yet, the war in Gaza has increasingly pulled the contest into geopolitical debates. The EBU, which oversees Eurovision, has never faced a situation quite like this. Its president, Delphine Ernotte Cunci, wrote to members that there is an “unprecedented diversity of views” regarding Israel’s participation, and admitted the organization had “never faced a divisive situation like this before.”
The vote, according to an EBU spokesperson, will take place online and will require an absolute majority for Israel’s exclusion. All 68 EBU member countries are invited to participate, including some that do not regularly compete, such as Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey, Algeria, Jordan, and Lebanon. The outcome could dramatically reshape the world’s largest televised music event, which last year drew 166 million viewers.
Pressure on the EBU has been building for weeks. Broadcasters from Spain, Ireland, and the Netherlands have already pledged to withdraw from the 2026 contest if Israel is allowed to compete. As Newsweek reports, these threats are not empty: five countries—Spain, Iceland, Ireland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands—have publicly stated their intent to boycott if Israel remains in the lineup. Other countries, including Belgium, Sweden, and Finland, are considering similar moves, with final decisions due by December.
RTÉ, Ireland’s national broadcaster, made its position clear, stating, “RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation would be unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza.” The statement also condemned the targeted killing of journalists and the denial of access to international reporters. The Dutch broadcaster Avrotros echoed this sentiment, saying it could no longer justify Israel’s inclusion “given the ongoing and severe human suffering in Gaza.”
Spain’s RTVE president, José Pablo López, rejected the notion that Eurovision could remain apolitical under current circumstances. “We are all aware that the contest carries significant political implications,” he told his network. “The Israeli government is equally aware of this fact and leverages the event on the international stage.” For these broadcasters, participation is not simply a matter of music but a statement about human rights and international law.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza looms large over the debate. The conflict, which began after a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, has resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of 251 hostages. In response, Israel launched a large-scale military campaign in Gaza. As of late September 2025, more than 65,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, with other sources such as the Palestinian Health Ministry reporting similar figures. The United Nations Commission of Inquiry recently concluded that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, a charge Israel strongly denies, calling the report “one-sided and biased.” The International Association of Genocide Scholars, however, supports the genocide designation under the 1948 United Nations Convention.
Pro-Palestinian protests have accompanied recent Eurovision contests. Demonstrators took to the streets in Malmö, Sweden, during the 2024 event, and in Basel, Switzerland, in May 2025, both times demanding Israel’s exclusion. This year’s final in Basel was particularly contentious: Israel’s act, Yuval Raphael—a survivor of the Hamas attack—received the largest public vote, but Austria ultimately won the competition due to the jury vote. Allegations soon surfaced that Israeli government officials and social media campaigns had attempted to influence voting, with the Israeli Government Advertising Agency reportedly buying YouTube ads to encourage support for the Israeli act.
Despite these controversies, Israel’s public broadcaster Kan remains steadfast. In statements shared with several outlets, Kan insisted, “There is no reason why Israel should not continue to play a meaningful role in this major cultural event, which must remain a celebration of music and creativity, and not become politicized.” The broadcaster is already preparing to select a representative for the 2026 contest in Vienna. Kan further warned, “The potential disqualification of Israel’s public broadcaster Kan would be especially troubling ahead of the 70th edition of the song contest, which was founded as a symbol of unity, solidarity and fellowship.”
Support for Israel’s participation is not limited to Kan. Germany and Austria have backed Israel’s continued inclusion, with Austria’s foreign minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger urging countries threatening a boycott to reconsider. “I firmly believe that the Eurovision Song Contest in particular—and the arts in general—are not the appropriate arenas for sanctions,” Meinl-Reisinger wrote in a letter to her counterparts. “Excluding Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest or boycotting the event would neither ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza nor contribute to finding a sustainable political solution.”
Eurovision’s organizers have rarely excluded countries. However, there is precedent: Russia was banned in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine, with the EBU stating that allowing Russia to compete would bring the contest into disrepute. Former Yugoslavia was excluded in the 1990s due to UN sanctions, and Belarus was removed in 2021 over media freedom concerns.
Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest, emphasized that participation is ultimately up to each broadcaster. “Broadcasters have until mid-December to confirm if they wish to take part in next year’s event in Vienna. It is up to each Member to decide if they want to take part in the Contest and we would respect any decision broadcasters make.”
The upcoming vote in November is shaping up to be a defining moment for Eurovision—and perhaps for the intersection of culture and politics in Europe. As the EBU seeks to balance its tradition of unity with the realities of a deeply divided continent, the outcome will reverberate far beyond the stage in Vienna. Whether the contest can remain a celebration of music and creativity, or whether it must reckon with the world’s harshest conflicts, is a question that may soon be answered.
