The EBU announced that the vote on Israel’s participation in Eurovision will take place in early November, focusing only on Eurovision 2026 participation, not on KAN’s EBU membership.
In light of growing calls to exclude Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest, it was revealed today (Thursday) that the vote on Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026, set to take place in Vienna, Austria, has been moved forward to November.
In a letter signed by Delphine Ernotte-Cunci, President of the EBU, and sent to union members, it was stated that during an executive board meeting attended also by former Vice President Petr Dvořák, the current positions of member states regarding the Israeli national broadcaster “KAN” were presented. The EBU emphasized that there exists “an unprecedented range of opinions” on the matter, which has prevented consensus from being reached. It was further highlighted that the organization upholds freedom of expression and open cultural dialogue. Therefore, a special general assembly of EBU members will convene online in early November, where all members will be asked to vote on whether Israel will be allowed to participate in Eurovision 2026 in Vienna. The official invitation with additional details about the assembly’s content will be sent next week.
Response from KAN, Israel’s national broadcaster:
“KAN, the Israeli national broadcaster, expresses hope that the Eurovision Song Contest will continue to preserve its cultural and apolitical character. Removing Israel’s public broadcaster, one of the contest’s longstanding, popular, and successful participants for decades, particularly on the eve of Eurovision’s 70th anniversary — a symbol of cooperation, camaraderie, and unity — could carry significant ramifications. Not without reason, the EBU regulations clearly state that such exceptional decisions require a majority of no less than 75% of the General Assembly participants. We are confident that the EBU will continue to uphold the contest’s apolitical, professional, and cultural spirit, especially as it marks 70 years of Eurovision”.
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 357 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 2026: This will be Israel’s 48th 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.
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Ilay Gaist is a leading Israeli content creator and writer specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He is a well-known commentator with extensive expertise in the contest’s history, rules, and dynamics. His passion for Eurovision drives him to deliver rich, professional, and innovative content to his audience.
Ilay holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic and has a multilingual background. He also engages in cultural research, with a particular focus on global culinary traditions and the evolution of local cuisines around the world.
