The member states of the EBU have made their decision: Israel will compete in Eurovision 2026!
Following a tense vote at the 95th conference of the EBU held this evening in Geneva, with member states in attendance, countries approved the changes to the competition’s regulations and thus opted to forgo a separate vote on Israel’s participation. Consequently, Israel will take part in Eurovision 2026! Delegates from participating countries gathered for the semi-annual conference, where Israel’s eligibility was a central topic. During the session, new policies were approved aiming to “reduce disproportionate governmental and external involvement in the voting process.”
Spain, Turkey, Slovenia, and Belgium voiced strong opposition to Israel’s participation and called to block its return to the contest. In contrast, Norway supported the updated regulations introduced by the EBU, while Sweden and the United Kingdom maintained a balanced stance – urging all nations to avoid politicizing Eurovision. Germany, Ukraine, and Greece expressed clear support for Israel during the discussions.
Results of the vote:
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738 votes in favor of the regulation changes and waiving a separate vote on Israel’s participation
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264 votes against the proposed changes and favoring a vote on Israel’s participation
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120 abstentions
Wave of Withdrawals in Protest
While a sense of relief prevailed in Israel, countries that sought to exclude it from the contest now face a growing diplomatic and cultural crisis. The Dutch national broadcaster announced shortly after the vote that it was officially withdrawing from the competition. Spain soon followed suit, declaring its withdrawal in protest of Israel’s participation. The Netherlands had competed in Eurovision 65 times, and Spain had done so for 64 consecutive years. About thirty minutes after the vote, Ireland’s national broadcaster also declared it would not participate in the upcoming edition. Iceland’s broadcaster is expected to announce its decision within the week.
The withdrawal of these nations reflects an unwillingness to accept the democratic outcome of the vote, effectively choosing to “break the rules of the game.” This decision primarily harms their own audiences, who will now forfeit the chance to support their country’s representatives on the Eurovision stage. If countries presenting themselves as human rights advocates wish to preserve their credibility, they must also accept democratic resolutions that differ from their positions.
Israeli National Broadcaster KAN’s Respond
Representing Israel at the conference were Golan Yochpaz, CEO of the Israeli national broadcaster, and attorney Ayala Mizrahi, Israel’s representative within the EBU. During the assembly, attended by dozens of delegates from member nations, Yochpaz stated:
“The move to remove KAN from Eurovision is, in fact, a cultural boycott. A boycott that may begin with KAN’s exclusion – but who knows where it might end or whom it could harm next. Are broadcasters and journalistic organizations willing to sign off on a cultural boycott? Are EBU members willing to undermine freedom of expression and creativity? Is this what they want to be remembered for as we mark Eurovision’s 70th anniversary?”
Yochpaz and Mizrahi emphasized that the Israeli national broadcaster played no part in any improper effort to influence the outcome of the previous contest, in which Israel placed second.
“KAN is immensely proud of the works and artists that represented us and achieved global recognition. We will not stand by and say, ‘We’re sorry for succeeding’”.
In preparation for today’s EBU assembly, the Israeli broadcaster had conducted extensive diplomatic groundwork over recent months, supported by President Isaac Herzog. These efforts involved direct coordination with the EBU’s leadership, its member broadcasters, and Austria – the host country of Eurovision 2026 – to counter attempts to disqualify Israel from the event.
As part of these diplomatic efforts, Israeli representatives hosted Roland Weissmann, Director General of Austria’s national broadcaster, during his official visit to Israel. Weissmann also met with Yochpaz at President Herzog’s residence and later reaffirmed Austria’s strong commitment to ensuring Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026.
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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.
