Eurovision 2026: German Leader Supports Boycott If Israel Is Not Allowed To Compete

Yuval Raphael, who represented Israel at Eurovision in 2025The chancellor of Germany has said he would support the country boycotting next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is banned from competing.After controversy has blighted Eurovision for the last few years due to Israel’s continued participation despite the ongoing conflict in Gaza, a vote is due to take place among competing national broadcasters in December, to determine whether Israel is permitted to return.Several countries have now said they will pull out of Eurovision unless Israel is banned, but during a new interview, chancellor Friedrich Merz made it clear he supports the opposite view.Asked by German broadcaster ARD if he’d back calls to boycott Eurovision in the event that Israel is not allowed to return, Merz responded: “I would support this. I think it’s a scandal that this is even being discussed. Israel has a place there.”It’s worth pointing out that Germany is one of Eurovision’s “Big Five” countries, meaning they contribute the most financially, and are therefore allowed to pass straight through to the final each year without taking part in earlier stages of the contest.German Chancellor Friedrich MerzThe other countries in the “Big Five” are the UK, France, Italy and Spain, the latter of which has already said it will not return to Eurovision in 2026 if Israel is allowed to compete again.Official discussions among competing Eurovision broadcasters about Israel’s involvement were first held over the summer, though no consensus was reached at that time.Around this period, it was reported by Israel’s N12 News that the national broadcasters for Germany and Italy had threatened to pull out of Eurovision if Israel is not permitted to return to the event in 2026.Responding to these rumours, a spokesperson from Germany’s Südwestrundfunk (SWR) told HuffPost UK in July: “The Eurovision Song Contest is a major musical event that has brought people across Europe and beyond together for decades – diverse and respectful, regardless of origin, religion, or belief.“The ESC is a music competition organised by EBU broadcasters, not governments. The Israeli broadcaster KAN adheres to applicable regulations and has been an integral part of the music competition for more than 60 years. We affirm their membership and the core values of the ESC.”Germany’s culture minister Wolfram Weimer previously issued a statement of his own condemning calls to boycott the event next year should Israel remain part of it.“Eurovision was founded to bring nations together through music. Excluding Israel today goes against this fundamental idea and turns a celebration of understanding between peoples into a tribunal,” he said in a statement.“It’s precisely because Eurovision was born on the ruins of war that it should not become a scene of exclusion. Eurovision is based on the principle that artists are judged on their art and not on their nationality. The culture of cancellation is not the solution — the solution is diversity and cohesion.”Austrian singer JJ is the reigning Eurovision Song Contest champion, with next year's event due to take place in Vienna following his winThe BBC’s director-general also spoke out on the subject last month, while data indicates that British Eurovision fans are overwhelmingly in favour of Israel’s expulsion, similarly to how Russia was banned from competing after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.A Eurovision spokesperson previously told HuffPost UK: “We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. We are still consulting with all EBU Members to gather views on how we manage participation and geopolitical tensions around the Song Contest.“Broadcasters have until mid-December to confirm if they wish to take part in next year’s event in Vienna. It is up to each Member to decide if they want to take part in the Contest and we would respect any decision broadcasters make.”MORE EUROVISION:These Are All The Countries That Have Spoken Out About Israel's Involvement At Eurovision 2026Spain Joins 3 More Countries In Saying It Will Withdraw From Eurovision If Israel Returns Next YearReigning Eurovision Winner JJ Calls For Israel To Be Removed From The Contest

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