How do you solve a problem like Israel in Eurovision 2026?
Eurovision has currently been facing its greatest political dilemma for years, because an increasing number of European broadcasters have threatened to boycott competition if Israel is participating.
The Minister of Spanish Culture Ernest Urtasun called RTVE to withdraw if Israel is included; Ireland’s Rté officially declared that he will not participateQuoting “current and appalling losses in Gaza”, the murder of journalists and restrictions on access to the media; The Netherlands Avrotros have followed suitindicating the participation “will not be possible as long as Israel is admitted by the Ubu”; and RTVSLO in Slovenia also has informed EBU that he will not participate in current circumstances.
“We understand deeply concerns and opinions have taken place on the current conflict in the Middle East,” said Eurovision director Martin Green in a statement.
“The broadcasters have until mid-December to confirm if they wish to participate in next year’s event in Vienna,” he said, adding: “It is up to each member to decide if they want to participate in the competition and we would respect all the decisions that the broadcasters take.”
Now, it seems that European officials involved in the organization of Eurovision have made a proposal to the national broadcaster of Israel, Kan.
According to YnetThe EBU has “unofficially” told Israeli representatives that they should temporarily withdraw from competition. Alternatively, if Israel wishes to stay in the competition, they must occur under a neutral flag – similar to the approach adopted by Russian athletes during the recent Olympic Games.
Since this last option is more an aesthetic solution that does not solve the moral objections that European broadcasters have highlighted, this does not look like a particularly adequate solution. As for the first option, a withdrawal avoid any “humiliating disqualification” during the vote of the general meeting scheduled for December.
The question of whether Kan accepts any of the proposals has not yet been determined, but there are reports that Kan officials are reluctant, with the idea of performing without the national flag considered unacceptable.
Another unofficial suggestion included a proposal to the Israeli public broadcasting company to publish a public declaration distancing itself from the policies of the Israeli government. The defenders of this option argued that he could influence the feeling before the December vote.
Pro -Palestinian demonstrators meet for a protest against the participation of the Israeli candidate Eden Golan before the Eurovision final in Malmo, Sweden – May 11, 2024 – Photo AP
Eurovision was taken in Political tensions on Israel’s participation for two years now.
Since the attacks of October 7 of 2023, Israel participated in two Eurovision competitions, both held against a background of protest. In 2014, thousands of people gathered in Sweden to protest the participation of Israel, while in Basel earlier this year, the demonstrators tried to rush to the stage to disrupt the performance of the Israeli singer Yuval Raphael.
The aforementioned EU diffusers join more than 70 former Eurovision candidates who signed an open letter demanding that Israel and its Kan national diffuser be prohibited competition.
The winner of the Eurovision of last year, Austrian singer JJsaid that he too wants Israel to be banished from Eurovision 2026.
The UBU extended its deadline for withdrawal without penalty until December, when a final decision on the participation of Israel is expected in the General Assembly.
Since the attack on Hamas against Israeli citizens on October 7, 2023, several human rights experts from the United Nations declared that the military actions of Israel in Gaza equivalent to a genocideThe International Court of Justice concluding the allegations of plausible genocide. The integrated classification of the food security phase announced that residents of the Gaza Strip are officially faced with “artificial” famine on the territory – despite what the Israeli government has said.
The edition of the 70th anniversary of Eurovision should take place in Vienna, Austria. The final will take place on May 16 after the semi-finals on May 12 and 14, 2026.
