The organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest announced on Friday that a vote will be held in November to decide if Israel can participate in the upcoming event amid growing calls to exclude the country due to the conflict in Gaza.
Dave Goodman, a spokesperson for the European Broadcasting Union, disclosed that the member broadcasters will convene for an extraordinary general meeting online in early November to vote on whether Kan, the Israeli public broadcaster, should be allowed to join the contest. A decisive “absolute majority” will be necessary for an exclusion to be approved.
Several countries, such as Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain, have threatened to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest unless Israel is barred from participating because of the situation in Gaza. On the contrary, Germany and Austria have voiced support for Israel’s involvement, while the BBC and other broadcasters are yet to make a definitive stance.
Kan, in a statement on X, expressed its hope that the competition will remain focused on cultural and non-political aspects.
Eurovision, known as a musical Olympics where performers from various European countries compete under their national banners, has a history of political influences and regional tensions. In the past, controversies have arisen, such as the renaming of an Israeli entry from “October Rain” to “Hurricane” in 2024 due to political sensitivities.
Dean Vuletic, a Eurovision historian, emphasized the significance of the vote on Israel’s participation, comparing it to past crises faced by the event. He highlighted previous exclusions of countries like the former Yugoslavia and recent instances involving Belarus and Russia.
Austria’s Foreign Minister, Beate Meinl-Reisinger, has raised concerns about potential boycotts of the 2026 Eurovision event in Vienna, stressing that the competition should not be used as a tool for sanctions. She has called for collaborative efforts to address the issues in Israel and Gaza.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 is scheduled to be held in Vienna in May, with the hosting rights awarded to the winner of the previous year’s competition in Basel, Switzerland, where Austria’s JJ triumphed with the song “Wasted Love.”