Chancellor issues a bold warning: Vienna will withdraw from hosting Eurovision 2026 if Israel is banned, sparking major diplomatic waves and raising Israel’s prospects for participation.
A major diplomatic bombshell shakes the Eurovision stage: amid the ongoing debate surrounding Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026, a firm statement of support has arrived from one of the most crucial places — the host country itself. Austria’s Chancellor has declared unequivocally that without Israel in the competition, Vienna will not host the event. What could this mean for Eurovision’s future and for Israel’s participation?
Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker and State Secretary Alexander Proll made an official announcement stating that if a boycott against Israel is enforced, they will pressure the national broadcaster and the City of Vienna to withdraw their hosting of Eurovision 2026.
In a statement from their party, OVP, they emphasized: “It makes no sense that we, of all people, would prevent a Jewish artist from coming to Vienna.” The decision carries a financial cost of about 40 million euros, a penalty the Austrian broadcaster would owe to the new host city. The Austrian government is expected to cover the amount, as ORF lacks the budget for such an expense.
Vienna’s Mayor Michael Ludwig has also expressed support for Israel’s participation but stated that he is determined to host the contest no matter what. Discussions between Ludwig and Chancellor Stocker on the matter have already begun.
The Austrian national broadcaster is unlikely to oppose the Chancellor’s stance. Its director-general has publicly expressed strong support for Israel’s inclusion, saying: “As I have represented at the EBU for months, and as I recently reiterated to the union’s supervisory board: ORF firmly supports the participation of the Israeli public broadcaster ‘KAN’ in the Eurovision Song Contest. I stand by this position and will continue to do so, especially given Austria’s history.”
If Vienna truly decides against hosting the competition, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) could face a massive crisis — one even greater than the withdrawal of several countries. Such a scenario could jeopardize the event’s existence altogether. The EBU may find itself preferring to lose a few protesting nations rather than see the entire contest collapse. Re-selecting a host city would require launching a new bidding process and navigating a level of bureaucracy impossible to manage within such a short timeframe.
“A Pointless Boycott”: Austrian Government Joins the Fight
Foreign and European Affairs Minister Sepp Schellhorn was among the first to address the Israeli matter forcefully. In an interview with Kurier, he dismissed calls for a boycott as “pointless and foolish” and stressed that Austria would not bow to pressure. “Yielding to pressure or blackmail would be a mistake,” he said, adding: “This is above all a competition between musicians and artists. It seems deeply problematic to confuse their roles with a country’s politics.”
Meanwhile, Austria’s Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger took the issue to the highest diplomatic level. She sent a formal letter to her counterparts in countries threatening a boycott, expressing “deep concern about the risk of division” within the EBU. In the letter, obtained by Reuters, she emphasized that Eurovision is not the platform for sanctions: “Excluding Israel from Eurovision or boycotting the event will neither ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza nor contribute to a sustainable political solution,” she wrote.
Political support has also been strongly expressed at the regional level. The Governor of Lower Austria, Johanna Mikl-Leitner, delivered a strikingly strong statement saying: “A Eurovision without Israel is inconceivable. Especially now, during difficult times, Austria must take responsibility and stand with the Israeli people.” She added bluntly: “It is better for Austria to host Eurovision alone with Israel – rather than without it.”
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.
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Ofek Jerassi is an Israeli reporter, editor, content creator, and commentator, specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He has developed his extensive expertise since childhood, becoming a close follower of the contest. For the past three years, he has served as a writer and editor for EuroMix—Israel’s largest Eurovision website and one of the world’s leading platforms in the field, with over 1.5 million users annually.
Ofek covered Eurovision 2025 on-site in Basel from the press center in the host city, providing EuroMix readers with firsthand experiences, professional analysis, and exclusive reactions from the audience, artists, and experts. His in-depth knowledge and broad familiarity with the Eurovision world are evident in every article, ensuring reliable, professional, and up-to-date content.
In his personal life, Ofek is a medic and avid traveler. He writes out of a genuine love for Eurovision, placing strong emphasis on credibility, professional commentary, and presenting a diverse range of opinions.
