US EditionIsrael Approved for 2026 Eurovision; Spain and the Netherlands Announce Withdrawal
- At the EBU general assembly on December 4 and 5 members will vote in Geneva on whether Israel can participate in Eurovision 2025 after a postponed November meeting.
- Last month the EBU announced voting-rule changes on November 21 after member broadcasters threatened boycotts over the war in Gaza and alleged vote interference.
- Broadcasters from Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands have signalled possible withdrawals, while Iceland's RUV will formally request Israel's exclusion amid accusations of paid-for advertising, which Israel denies.
- If the EBU fails to reach consensus, broadcasters may decide individually or as a breakaway group, with members due to confirm participation by mid-December and a final list by Christmas, amid warnings of the biggest Eurovision boycott.
- Under the new rules, the expanded professional jury at semi-finals holds around 50% of the vote, audience votes are capped at 10, and the contest draws more than 150 million viewers with ORF urging compromise in Vienna.
152 Articles
152 Articles
The way for Israel to participate in the ESC in Vienna is clear. This is the result of the General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union. A boycott is immediately announced from several countries.
Eurovision Song Contest: The organizers of the European Union (EBU) met Thursday to discuss Israel's controversial participation. Broadcaster AVROTROS immediately announced that it would not be submitting an entry...
Spain and the Netherlands have already confirmed that they will boycott the competition following today's decision.
Israel will be allowed to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna next year.
Eurovision organizers and member states decided at a meeting in Geneva that Israel will remain part of the world's biggest music competition. The decision has already prompted the withdrawal of Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland and Belgium. "We will not participate in Eurovision if Israel is there," concluded RTV Slovenia's president of the board Natalija Gorščak in her address to the members before the vote.
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