The EBU set December 4th–5th for its 95th General Assembly in Geneva. A vote on Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026 may take place then
The EBU confirmed today that its 95th General Assembly will be held in Geneva on December 4th–5th. While it has not yet been formally announced that a vote will be held regarding Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, it is highly likely that such a vote will take place during the assembly.
Traditionally, the first day of the General Assembly is dedicated to formal matters, which makes December 4th the likely date for the potential vote on Israel’s participation. If the assembly concludes without such a vote, Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria, will be ensured, as there will be no further opportunity to hold a vote before the contest.
No National Broadcaster Has Officially Requested Israel’s Expulsion
This week, the Dutch division of the Luxembourg-based broadcaster RTL Nieuws revealed that no national broadcaster has submitted an official request to the EBU to remove Israel from the contest. The broadcaster also reported that the EBU is continuing discussions with broadcasters across Europe in order “to gain a clearer picture regarding their participation in Eurovision.”
That same day, Ynet disclosed that the EBU has extended the withdrawal deadline from the Eurovision Song Contest without financial penalty until December. This extension was decided after the uncertainty surrounding Israel’s eligibility. It could represent both preparation for Israel’s participation and an attempt to ease the way for countries that may choose to withdraw if Israel competes.
Pressure from European Countries and Calls for Boycott
It should be recalled that in early July, a meeting was held in London where representatives of EBU member states discussed, among other things, Israel’s participation in the upcoming contest. Slovenia and Iceland threatened to withdraw from Eurovision should Israel take part, with Iceland officially confirming its participation in Eurovision 2026 just a few days ago. Alongside them, Belgium, Ireland, and Spain have also taken leading positions against Israel within the EBU.
Could it be that all the uproar surrounding Israel’s participation will ultimately not lead to its removal from Eurovision? We will have to wait until December to see whether the efforts to expel Israel and its national broadcaster, KAN, from the beloved contest will bear fruit.
Israel at Eurovision 2025
“New Day Will Rise” is the song performed by Yuval Raphael, who was chosen to represent Israel after winning the 11th season of “HaKokhav HaBa”. Israel advanced to the final after winning the second semi-final with 203 points and finished second overall with 436 points in the grand final. Israel ranked first in the public vote but only 14th with the jury. This marks the third consecutive year that Israel has reached the top five – an unprecedented achievement.
Eurovision 2025: This was Israel’s 47th participation in Eurovision. Israel joined the contest in 1973 and has won four times. Its most recent victory was at Eurovision 2018 with the song “Toy”, performed by singer Netta Barzilai.
