Israel to Compete in Eurovision 2026; Four Nations Announce Boycott

Israel will participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, held in Vienna. This announcement triggered immediate withdrawals from four European broadcasters: the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia.

The decision came on Thursday, December 4th, during the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) General Assembly in Geneva. Instead of voting on barring Israel, the EBU assembly passed new rules intended to reduce political influence and keep the contest neutral.

The EBU said that, since most members supported these rules, there was no need for another vote on the issue of [countries'] participation. The new rules, which try to increase trust, transparency, and the neutral nature of the contest, mean that all EBU members who agree to follow them can participate.

Reasons for the Boycott

The countries boycotting, along with other critics, wanted Israel out of the contest, citing:

The awful situation in Gaza because of the ongoing war.

Suspicions that the rules were bent and there was too much campaign support for Israel's representative in last year's contest.

There were already protests against Israel's participation at the 2024 contest in Malmö and the 2025 contest in Basel, where Israel's singer, Yuval Raphael, came in second.

Right after the EBU's decision, the Dutch broadcaster Avrotros said it was withdrawing because participating is not in line with the public values that are important to us right now. Spain’s broadcaster, RTVE, an important financial member of the contest, quickly followed, saying it would not only withdraw but also not broadcast the semi-finals or the grand final of Eurovision 2026.

Reactions and Rule Changes

Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed the EBU's decision, calling it a gesture of solidarity, brotherhood and cooperation, symbolizing a victory over those who seek to silence Israel.

Germany’s television and radio company, ARD, supports the EBU’s action, agreeing with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer, who publicly said they supported Israel’s participation.

The new rules also change the voting system. While the total number of viewer votes will be limited, the scores from national juries will be more important, especially in the semi-finals. Some think this is because the Israeli entry had a lot of public support in the 2025 contest.

The war in Gaza started after Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, which killed 1,200 people. Israel's military actions in Gaza since then have caused at least 67,000 Palestinian casualties.