Eurovision 2026: Why Israel's Involvement Is Already Causing Controversy For Next Year's Contest

Israeli singer Yuval Raphael at this year's Eurovision red carpet launchThe last two Eurovision Song Contests have undoubtedly been among the most contentious in the competition’s history – and next year’s event is already looking just as controversial.Israel’s continued presence at Eurovision despite the ongoing conflict in Gaza has faced backlash from many critics for some time, and with conversations ongoing about whether they will be returning in 2026, many countries in recent weeks have begun to suggest they will pull out if Israel remains a part of the contest.Others, meanwhile, have said the opposite, defending Israel’s position at Eurovision, meaning next year’s competition is already at the centre of heated debate seven months before it’s even due to take place.For those who need a quick reminder of what the whole debate is about, here’s a quick guide to what we know so far…Hold on – first of all, why is Israel even part of the Eurovision Song Contest in the first place?Well, despite what the name might imply, you don’t need actually to be part of Europe to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest.A country does need to be part of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), though, which Israel’s national broadcasters – first Israel Broadcasting Authority, and more recently, KAN – have been since the 1970s.Israel has been competing in Eurovision since 1973, and in that time, it has won on four different occasions.The most recent victory for Israel was as recently as 2018, when Netta triumphed with her song Toy, after which the contest was held in Tel Aviv.Netta is the most recent act to win Eurovision for IsraelPrevious Israeli champions have included back-to-back winners Alphabeta and Milk And Honey in 1978 and 1979, while Dana International made history as the contest’s first transgender victor in 1998.Like Israel, Australia is also a Eurovision contender despite not being in Europe, initially joining the competition as a one-off for its 60th anniversary in 2015, but later returning every year since.How far back does the backlash about Israel at Eurovision stretch?In short, further than you might think, but the conversation was really amplified in 2019, when the competition took place in Israel for the first time in over a decade, prompting calls for a boycott.This conversation has grown even louder in the last two years as the conflict in Gaza has intensified, leading many to call for Israel’s expulsion, similar to how Russia was banned in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine.What has happened with Israel at the last two Eurovision Song Contests?In the lead-up to the event in 2024, an increasing number of Eurovision fans began urging organisers to remove Israel as a competitor as a result of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.Ultimately, Eurovision bosses chose to keep Israel as part of the contest, which led to calls for an overall boycott of the broadcast, which was backed by the Palestine-led BDS movement. In the UK, Eurovision dropped around a quarter of its viewership in 2024 compared to the previous year’s broadcast, though it’s worth pointing out that the previous year, the competition had actually taken place in the UK for the first time in a quarter-century.A handful of acts, including the UK’s own Olly Alexander, issued a joint statement in the weeks leading up to the event, calling for peace in the Middle East but maintaining that they would not be withdrawing from Eurovision.pic.twitter.com/VBNQWwPe46— olly alexander (@alexander_olly) March 29, 2024Once the event was over, it emerged that several complaints had been made to the EBU about the Israeli delegation’s behaviour towards other acts in the competition.“We regret that some delegations at the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Malmö didn’t respect the spirit of the rules and the competition both onsite and during their broadcasts,” the EBU said in a statement.They added: “We spoke to a number of delegations during the event regarding various issues that were brought to our attention. The EBU’s governing bodies will, together with the heads of delegations, review the events surrounding the ESC in Malmö to move forward in a positive way and to ensure the values of the event are respected by everyone.”Eurovision subsequently announced changes to its code of conduct introduced in the lead-up to the contest in 2025, but Israel remained part of the contest.Yuval Raphael on stage at Eurovision earlier this yearAs was the case a year earlier, critics once again raised serious questions about Israel’s participation, with the BDS movement calling for a boycott of the second contest for the second year in a row.Shortly before the event got underway, a number of former contestants and acts associated with the competition – including several former winners – voiced their support for Israel’s expulsion, while then-reigning winner Nemo also added their voice to these calls during an exclusive interview with HuffPost UK.“I support the call for Israel’s exclusion from the Eurovision Song Contest. Israel’s actions are fundamentally at odds with the values that Eurovision claims to uphold – peace, unity and respect for human rights,” they said.When four national broadcasters also aired their concerns about Israel’s involvement with the EBU, it was announced that discussions would take place on the matter – but only once Eurovision 2025 was over with.At the contest’s red carpet launch in May, a week before the live final, pro-Palestine demonstrators gathered at the site where this year’s acts – including Israel’s Yuval Raphael, a survivor of Hamas’ attack on the Israeli music festival Nova in 2022 – arrived as part of the contest’s official launch.During this event, Yuval was met with jeers from pro-Palestine demonstrators, with Israel’s public broadcaster Kan also making an official complaint to the police in Switzerland due to an alleged threatening gesture that was made towards her by one of these protesters.Yuval told BBC News that she’d found this first official day of Eurovision “frightening, even at times uncomfortable”. Like her predecessor from the previous year’s contest, Eden Golan, she maintained a low profile in the days before her semi-final performance, doing only a handful of media appearances and interviews.Eurovision bosses confirmed that during Yuval’s final rehearsal for the semi-finals, six pro-Palestine protesters had been removed from the arena after they attempted to detail the performance.In the end, Israel finished in second place overall at Eurovision 2025. Had only votes from viewers been taken into consideration, they would have won, after securing 12 points from many other countries, including the UK.Once the competition was over, several competing broadcasters requested an audit of voting, with many also calling for reform into how voting at Eurovision takes place.Austrian performer JJ won Eurovision earlier thisyearMeanwhile, in the days after his win, Austria’s JJ said he also supported the calls for Israel to be banned from Eurovision, stating: “I would like next year’s Eurovision to be held in Vienna, and without Israel. But the ball is in the EBU’s court. We, the artists, can only raise our voices on the matter.”Eurovision suffered another drop in ratings in 2025, losing a million UK viewers year-on-year, falling to its lowest overnight audience in a decade.Which countries have threatened to quit Eurovision if Israel returns in 2026?The debate around Israel has continued since Eurovision 2025 came to an end in May.Over the summer, discussions took place among the EBU’s broadcasters about whether Israel should remain part of Eurovision. Ultimately, it was decided that this conversation would be revisited in the coming months.Since then, Slovenia’s broadcaster RTVSLO has come out to say its decision about whether to compete at Eurovision next year would only be made once it was known if Israel would be back.“At the EBU General Assembly, which was held in London at the beginning of July, RTV Slovenia presented its position that if Israel were to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest – due to the genocide in Gaza – it would not participate in the competition,” they said.“The EBU is currently holding talks with its members regarding Israel’s possible participation in the future competition.”Following this, Ireland’s RTÉ also made it clear that they would not compete at Eurovision or even broadcast it if Israel is invited back next year.Bambie Thug is Ireland's most successful Eurovision act in 24 yearsAn RTÉ representative said: “It is RTÉ’s position that Ireland will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, if the participation of Israel goes ahead, and the final decision regarding Ireland’s participation will be made once the EBU’s decision is made.“RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation would be unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza. RTÉ is also deeply concerned by the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza, the denial of access to international journalists to the territory, and the plight of the remaining hostages.”The Netherlands’ AVROTROS had previosuly claimed it wouldn’t make a decision about whether to return until the talks about Israel’s involvement are done.However, the Dutch broadcaster later said: “AVROTROS can no longer justify Israel’s participation in the current situation, given the ongoing and severe human suffering in Gaza.“Furthermore, the broadcaster expresses grave concern about the serious violation of press freedom: the deliberate exclusion of independent international reporting and the numerous casualties among journalists.″[There has also been] proven interference by the Israeli government during the last edition of the Song Contest, with the event being used as a political instrument. This contradicts the apolitical nature of the Song Contest. These circumstances conflict with the values that AVROTROS represents as a public broadcaster.”″[We have therefore] decided that AVROTROS’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will not be possible as long as Israel remains admitted by the EBU,” they concludes. “If the EBU decides not to admit Israel, AVROTROS will be happy to participate next year. Pending that decision, all preparations are continuing as usual.”What have other countries said against Israel’s involvement in Eurovision 2026?The director-general of Iceland’s RÚV has already said it is “likely” that if the EBU chooses to keep Israel at Eurovision, they will not be part of it.Meanwhile, Spain’s minister for culture Ernest Urtasun has called for the country to withdraw from Eurovision if Israel stays.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.”The Spanish prime minister has previously supported Israel being banned from the event, too.Spain is part of the so-called “Big Five” nations, who contribute the most financially to Eurovision’s organisation, meaning its withdrawal would be a particular blow to the competition.Are any countries supporting Israel’s participation at Eurovision next year?Back in July, it was reported by several outlets 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.A spokesperson for Germany’s Südwestrundfunk (SWR) later told HuffPost UK: “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.“We welcome the process initiated by EBU Director General Noel Curran. A former senior TV executive will engage in a structured, open dialogue with the members over the coming months to explore various perspectives and identify courses of action. The goal should be a well-founded and sustainable solution in line with the EBU’s values.”HuffPost UK also contacted Italy’s RAI but did not receive a response.Germany and Italy, like Spain, also form part of Eurovision’s “Big Five’ alongside the UK and France.What has the BBC said about the controversy around Israel at Eurovision?As more nations and their respective broadcasters have voiced their intentions for 2026 regarding Israel’s involvement, the BBC is now facing pressure to follow suit.So far, the corporation is remaining silent on whether its plans to return to Eurovision next year hinge on Israel’s participation. A spokesperson had no comment when contacted by HuffPost UK.What has Eurovision said?Eurovision director Martin Green issued a statement to HuffPost UK earlier this month, which said: “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.”Organisers also told HuffPost UK earlier this year: “The EBU is not immune to global events but, together with our members, it is our role to ensure the Contest remains – at its heart – a universal event that promotes connections, diversity and inclusion through music.“We all aspire to keep the Eurovision Song Contest positive and inclusive and aspire to show the world as it could be, rather than how it necessarily is.”They added: “As a reminder, the EBU is an association of public service broadcasters, not governments, who are all eligible to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest every year if they meet the requisite requirements. It is not our role to make comparisons between conflicts.”READ MORE:Eurovision Organisers Speak Out After Broadcasters Hold Discussions About Israel's InvolvementReigning Eurovision Winner JJ Calls For Israel To Be Removed From The ContestRemember Monday Speak Out About Getting Zero Points From Eurovision Viewers

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