EBU to vote on Israel's Eurovision 2026 entry amid boycott threats

The European Broadcasting Union said its members will vote in early November on whether Israel may participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, setting up a high-stakes decision after a wave of threats by several national broadcasters to boycott the event over Israel's war in Gaza. The online extraordinary meeting of the EBU's general assembly will decide whether the Israeli public broadcaster Kan can remain a member and compete at next May's contest in Vienna, the union said on Friday.

The EBU's executive board informed directors general of its members in a letter that the question had generated an unprecedented diversity of views and required a broader democratic basis, EBU president Delphine Ernotte Cunci wrote. A spokesperson said an absolute majority would be required for any exclusion to pass. The vote follows public threats from broadcasters in Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia to withdraw if Israel is allowed to take part. Other countries such as Belgium, Sweden and Finland are reported to be weighing similar moves.

Organizers and broadcasters framed the dispute as a test of Eurovision's nonpolitical identity against mounting calls from...