Ukraine supports Israel’s participation in Eurovision, noting that “It is inappropriate to cite Russia’s exclusion when it comes to Israel.”

At the meeting of the European Broadcasting Union, Ukraine took a position that noticeably stood out from the emotional background of the discussions: comparing Israel with Russia, according to the Ukrainian delegation, is “inappropriate and methodologically incorrect”.
The topic of excluding Israel from Eurovision reignited debates: from calls for a boycott to arguments that the contest should remain a platform for broadcasters, not geopolitical reflections.

The Israeli side insisted on a simple fact — the public broadcaster KAN did not violate EBU rules. No procedural claims, no deviations from the regulations.
But there were completely different positions at the table: Spain, Belgium, Slovenia, Turkey — all of them pressed on the thesis of the impossibility of Israel’s participation. The United Kingdom, on the contrary, asked not to involve the contest in political conflicts. Germany spoke sharply and briefly: Israel’s right to participate is fully supported.

On December 4, 2025, the EBU ultimately made a formal decision: Israel will participate in Eurovision 2026.
Contest reforms have been approved, and the structure itself reminded that Eurovision is a competition between public broadcasters. Not between cabinets of ministers and not between states. The formula is old, but now it had to be voiced again, almost letter by letter.

The EBU statement emphasizes that KAN complies with all rules. There are no claims.
Nevertheless, the discussions within the union have become perhaps the sharpest in recent years. Spain took a hard line and effectively led the bloc of opponents: RTVE demanded a separate check — whether Israel’s participation meets humanitarian and apolitical standards against the backdrop of the war in Gaza.

Iceland, Norway, and Ireland joined the pressure. There, broadcasters feel the pressure of musicians’ and composers’ unions promoting the idea of a boycott. Slovenia again raised the issue of the humanitarian situation and asked for “substantive discussions,” not formal replies.

But after the votes, it became clear: the majority of union members supported the EBU leadership’s position. The demand to exclude Israel was rejected, and the final decision solidified this balance of power.
Ukraine, emphasizing separately that the logic of sanctions against Russia should not be automatically transferred, was among those who demand balance, not emotional steps. We will continue to monitor how this line will develop further — in the materials of “NANews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency”.