European broadcasters will decide whether Israel will participate in “Eurovision 2026” or be banned like Russia.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced an extraordinary online meeting of the General Assembly, which will take place in early November. On the agenda is a vote on the Israeli broadcaster Kan in “Eurovision-2026”. In a letter sent to the organization’s members, EBU President Delphine Ernotte Cunci noted that there was an “unprecedented diversity of views” on this issue, requiring a “broader democratic basis,” reports The Guardian.

The EBU confirmed that the executive board sent a letter to the general directors of all its members with information about the upcoming vote. It will take place at an extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly scheduled for early November.

The decision to hold a vote was made amid threats of a boycott from several countries if Israel participates in the contest. Irish broadcaster RTE announced on September 11 that it would not participate if Israel is allowed. The next day, the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS supported this stance. Spain became the first country from the “big five” to officially join the boycott, first announced by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and then by RTVE on September 16.

Support and Protests

Simultaneously with the boycott threats, according to the Telegraph, Germany and Italy expressed their intention to leave the contest if Israel is excluded without significant legal grounds. Switzerland, Austria, Greece, Azerbaijan, and Cyprus are expected to support Israel in the vote.

History of Israel’s Participation

Israel has been participating in “Eurovision” since 1973 and has four victories in this contest. Despite protests, the country continued to participate in the last two contests.

Situation with Russia

After the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia was banned from accessing “Eurovision”.

The 2024 song contests in Malmö and the current one in Basel took place against the backdrop of mass actions in support of Palestinian protests.

The Future of “Eurovision”

The jubilee, 70th “Eurovision” contest is scheduled for May 2026 in Vienna. The semi-finals are planned for May 12 and 14, and the final on May 16. The Austrian broadcasting company ORF, hosting the contest, confirmed that the event will take place regardless of the number of participating broadcasters.