Recommendations of the Editorial team
Israel will compete in the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna next year. But the decision by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) immediately ignited a diplomatic and cultural conflagration. The new rule that any interested country can participate reopens the door for Israel to compete. President Izchak Herzog celebrated this as an important step. He publicly thanked those states that defended Israel’s right to participate.
First resignations immediately after the decision
The reaction didn’t take long to arrive. Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia announced their withdrawal from the ESC 2026. Just a few hours after the announcement. The exit of Spain, whose broadcaster RTVE is one of the largest financial supports of the competition, is particularly serious. Ireland, historically one of the most successful ESC countries, is also making a significant break.
These decisions come in the context of broad European criticism of the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip. Several other countries – including Iceland, Belgium, Sweden and Finland – had previously flirted with similar steps.
ARD welcomes Israel’s participation – EBU points to neutrality
While some countries want to boycott the ESC, the ARD explicitly supports the EBU. BR director Katja Wildermuth emphasized that fundamental values, established rules and the impartiality of public broadcasting were more important than heated public debates. She represents ARD and ZDF on the EBU Executive Board.
In order to reduce tensions, the EBU had already presented a package of reforms in November: greater jury participation in the semi-finals, stricter guidelines for campaigns and more transparency in ratings. At their internal meeting, the member broadcasters apparently rated these measures as sufficient. There was no separate vote on Israel’s participation.
A historical stress test for the ESC
The conflict surrounding Israel is now considered the deepest crisis in the almost seven-decade history of the Eurovision Song Contest. Both the ORF as host and the EBU held numerous discussions to prevent individual countries from completely turning away from the program. The central message always remained the same: the ESC is a public broadcasting event and must remain free of political influence. The EBU network today includes broadcasters from 56 countries in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.