Broadcasters behind the Eurovision Song Contest met in Geneva on Thursday to decide whether Israel should be allowed to compete next year, as several countries threaten to pull out over the Gaza war.
Spain, Slovenia, Ireland and the Netherlands have warned they will boycott the 2026 contest if Israel takes part, arguing that the country violated rules meant to protect the show's neutrality. Germany, however, says it will withdraw only if Israel is excluded.
Can Eurovision maintain unity?
The European Broadcasting Union is also reviewing new rules designed to limit government involvement in promoting entries, after claims that Israel pushed its 2025 campaign too aggressively. If members cannot agree on the rule changes, they will vote directly on Israel's participation.
Israel's public broadcaster KAN says it is preparing for the contest and will soon unveil adjustments to its selection process. Israel's 2025 artist, Yuval Raphael, was a survivor of the Nova festival attacked by Hamas in 2023, a detail that fuelled debate around last year's competition.
Finnish broadcaster Yle says it will only attend if the new safeguards are adopted and if additional security guarantees are provided for participants. For now, the EBU says the meeting will determine how (or if) Europe's biggest entertainment show can maintain unity ahead of the 2026 event in Austria.
