Eurovision 2026: More Countries Cast Doubt On Returning Next Year Amid Israel Controversy

Yuval Raphael, who represented Israel at Eurovision in 2025After Slovenia’s national broadcaster said it will not compete in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if Israel remains part of the competition, it looks like more countries could be following suit.While Israel’s involvement in Eurovision has long been a contentious subject as a result of the political situation in the Middle East, the debate has become even more widespread in the last two years, leading to many fans boycotting the contest due to the country’s continued presence, and several participating broadcasters raising their concerns about the situation.Over the summer, discussions took place among Eurovision’s participating broadcasters about whether Israel should remain part of the contest despite the ongoing war in Gaza, with the situation due to be reassessed in the coming months.Since then, Slovenian broadcaster RTVSLO has said it will only return to Eurovision in 2026 if Israel is banned, similarly to how Russia has not been invited to take part in the competition since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.Following this, the chair of Icelandic broadcaster RÚV has said it is still not clear whether Iceland will be competing in 2026, saying the board will make a decision once it’s clear if Israel will be invited to return.Icelandic duo VAEB at Eurovision earlier this yearMeanwhile, Spain’s minister for culture Ernest Urtasun has called for the country to withdraw from Eurovision if Israel remain part of the contest.Per Eurovoix, Urtasun told La Hora De La 1: “I don’t think we can normalise Israel’s participation in international events as if nothing is happening.“Events like Eurovision [bring] a certain representation of a country. In Eurovision’s case, it is not an individual artist who participates but someone who participates on behalf of that country’s citizens.”Spanish Eurovision star MelodyIt’s worth pointing out that Spain is one of the so-called “Big Five” countries at Eurovision, who contribute more financially than other competing nations, and is therefore guaranteed a place in the grand final, without having to compete in the semi-final stages.Last week, Eurovision’s director Martin Green issued a statement to HuffPost UK which read: “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.”Eurovision had no further comment when contacted for comment by HuffPost UK on WednesdayA host of former contestants and acts associated with the competition – as well as reigning champion JJ from Austria and last year’s winner Nemo from Switzerland, who shared their take on the matter during a recent exclusive interview with HuffPost UK – are also calling for Israel’s expulsion from Eurovision.Reigning Eurovision winner JJ has called for Israel's removal from the competitionMeanwhile, it was previously reported that the broadcasters for Germany and Italy – who, like Spain, also make up the “Big Five”, as do the UK and France – had both threatened to pull out of Eurovision if Israel is not permitted to return to the event in 2026.A spokesperson for Germany’s Südwestrundfunk (SWR) later told HuffPost UK: “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.”MORE EUROVISION:Reigning Eurovision Winner JJ Calls For Israel To Be Removed From The ContestGermany's Broadcaster Responds To Reports They'll Leave Eurovision If Israel Is BannedRemember Monday Speak Out About Getting Zero Points From Eurovision Viewers

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