Israel will be allowed to participate in the international song competition Eurovision in 2026, over the objections of several countries.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced on Thursday, December 4th, that all members who “wish to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 and agree to comply with the new rules” are eligible to take part next year.
In response, Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Slovenia have all withdrawn from the competition, with Iceland expected to follow suit.
Spain’s RTVE said in a press release that its board of directors “agreed last September that Spain would withdraw from Eurovision if Israel participated.” The broadcaster noted that it had requested a vote on Israel’s suspension, but it was not approved.
Ireland’s RTÉ stated that Israel’s “participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk.”
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Israel has historically been allowed to compete in Eurovision despite being located outside of Europe because its public broadcaster, KAN, is a member of the EBU. Israel has won the competition four times since first entering in 1973.
Its participation has been a particularly contentious topic in the past several years as the Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war, which began on October 7th, 2023, has continued to increase. As of November 29th, more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed and another 170,000 injured, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Despite the controversy, Israel competed both in 2024 and 2025.
Eurovision 2026 is set for May 16 in Vienna, Austria.