Key Takeaways:
- Eurovision Song Contest under threat – Boycotts from Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and others directly politicize a competition meant to rise above politics.
- EBU wavering – Reports of pressuring Israel to withdraw or perform under a neutral flag put the contest’s own rules and credibility at risk.
- Dangerous precedent – Once Israel is singled out, any country could be targeted next, turning Eurovision into a platform for political bullying instead of music.
The competition had barely wrapped up in Switzerland before the campaign to ostracize Israel from next year’s Eurovision was already underway.
For more than 50 years, Israel has been part of the world’s biggest cultural contest. But now, broadcasters in Ireland, Spain, and the Netherlands have joined a handful of other countries, including Iceland and Slovenia, in demanding that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) bar Israel. If their ultimatum is ignored, they threaten to boycott the 2026 contest.
The latest came from Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS, citing “ongoing and severe human suffering in Gaza” as its reason for pulling out. “Our participation… will not be possible as long as Israel remains admitted,” it declared, while adding it would gladly return if Israel were expelled.
This directly violates Eurovision’s most fundamental principle: that the contest is non-political. The EBU’s rules explicitly forbid politicization or instrumentalization of the event. The only countries ever barred were Russia and Belarus—removed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the suspension of their national broadcasters from the EBU itself. Israel, by contrast, is a full member broadcaster in good standing.
Initially, the EBU signaled resolve. Director Martin Green stressed that each broadcaster must decide for itself whether to participate and said the organization would manage geopolitical tensions while protecting the contest’s integrity. Broadcasters have until mid-December to confirm their entries for Vienna.
Further reading: Why Eurovision Didn’t Cave to Anti-Israel Boycotters
But now, reports suggest the EBU may be backtracking – reportedly hinting to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan that it could either withdraw voluntarily or perform under a “neutral flag” to avoid expulsion. Kan has rightly refused.
Israel has already faced boycott campaigns, with pro-Palestinian activists staging noisy protests at Eurovision in Malmö in 2024 and Basel this year. But if the EBU surrenders to pressure now, the damage goes far beyond one country’s participation.
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Eurovision will no longer stand as a celebration of music and culture above politics. It will become just another stage for politicized boycotts and bullying. And once the principle of neutrality is gone, no country is safe. Today it’s Israel. Tomorrow, any broadcaster facing political controversy could be next.
If Eurovision gives in, the contest loses the very thing that made it matter: its ability to unite audiences across borders with music – not politics.
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