Vienna, Austria – October 14, 2025 – The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the governing body behind the Eurovision Song Contest, announced on Monday that it has indefinitely postponed a planned vote on Israel's eligibility for the 2026 edition, citing "recent developments in the Middle East" as the catalyst for the delay. The decision, revealed following an executive board meeting on October 13, shifts the discussion to the EBU's winter general assembly in December, where an in-person debate among member broadcasters will take precedence over the previously scheduled virtual session in November.
This move comes at a pivotal moment for the 70th anniversary of the contest, set to unfold in Vienna from May 12 to 16, 2026. Austria's capital, selected as host city in August after Austrian singer JJ's victory in Basel with "Wasted Love," was chosen for its storied history with the event—having hosted in 1967 and 2015—and its robust infrastructure, including the Wiener Stadthalle arena for the finals. Yet, the postponement underscores the deepening rift within the EBU's 56 member organizations, as geopolitical tensions spill into what has long been billed as a non-political celebration of music and unity.
The EBU's statement emphasized the need for "an open and in-person discussion among its members on the issue of participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026." EBU President Delphine Ernotte Cunci had earlier acknowledged in a September letter to members that the board "had not reached a consensus" on Israel's inclusion, opting instead for a "broader democratic basis" through member input. The virtual vote, which would have required an absolute majority to enact any exclusion, is now off the table, with no new voting timeline confirmed. This procedural pivot reflects the EBU's attempt to navigate a crisis that threatens to fracture the contest's fabric, echoing past expulsions like Russia's in 2022 over its invasion of Ukraine.
At the heart of the controversy is Israel's broadcaster Kan, a longstanding EBU member since 1957, which has fielded entries in 47 contests since debuting in 1973. Israel boasts a glittering record: four victories (1978, 1979, 1998, 2010) and three hosts (Jerusalem in 1979 and 1998; Tel Aviv in 2019). In May's Basel edition, Israeli singer Yuval Raphael secured second place overall and topped the public televote with her entry "Echoes of Resilience," a ballad blending pop and orchestral elements that drew both acclaim and ire. Kan has defended its participation as a matter of cultural exchange, arguing in September that Israel is "one of the contest's longstanding, popular and successful participants." As of Tuesday, Kan had not issued a formal response to the postponement.
The timing of the EBU's announcement is no coincidence. It follows a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza that took effect on October 10, 2025, marking the end of a two-year war ignited by Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, which killed 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken. Israel's subsequent military campaign has resulted in over 67,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza's health ministry, with 78% of structures in the territory damaged or destroyed per UN satellite analysis. The ceasefire's first phase, approved by Israel's cabinet on October 9, includes the release of the remaining 20 living Israeli hostages by Hamas in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, alongside Israeli troop withdrawals from urban areas in northern Gaza. President Donald Trump hailed it as a "momentous breakthrough," crediting mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, with world leaders gathering in Sharm El-Sheikh on October 13 to endorse the deal.
While the truce has brought cautious optimism—Palestinians in Gaza City and Khan Younis began trekking back to ruined homes on October 11, scavenging timber for firewood amid the rubble—it has not quelled the Eurovision furor. Proponents of Israel's exclusion argue that the EBU's allowance of its participation amid the conflict normalizes alleged "crimes against humanity," as articulated in an open letter signed by 72 former contestants in May, including Switzerland's 2024 winner Nemo. The letter accused the EBU of double standards, contrasting Israel's inclusion with Russia's ban.
Boycott pledges have mounted since June's EBU meeting in London, where the issue first surfaced formally. At least five countries—Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland, and the Netherlands—have vowed to withdraw if Israel competes. Spain's RTVE, a "Big Five" financial pillar alongside France, Germany, Italy, and the UK, approved the boycott in September with an absolute majority vote, citing the "genocide in Gaza." Ireland's RTÉ echoed this, stating participation would contradict the contest's values of peace. Slovenia's RTVSLO, Iceland's RÚV, and the Netherlands' AVROTROS have similarly conditioned their involvement on Israel's ouster, with AVROTROS decrying the government's alleged interference in 2025 voting. Belgium's VRT has voiced support for the withdrawals but deferred to its French counterpart RTBF.
These threats carry weight: The "Big Five" auto-qualify to the finals and fund a significant portion of the €40 million budget, as seen in Basel's hosting costs. A mass exodus could shrink semi-finals, disrupt logistics, and erode the event's global viewership of 160 million. Australia's SBS, a non-EBU participant since 2015, has resisted calls from the Greens and pro-Palestinian groups to join, affirming its intent to compete regardless.
Opposition to exclusion is equally fervent. Austria's ORF, the 2026 host, welcomed the postponement as fostering "a more measured and democratic discussion," urging against politicization. Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger has insisted that "the arts are not the appropriate arenas for sanctions." Even JJ, the 2025 winner who once called for Israel's ban, has tempered his stance amid the ceasefire. Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared on October 6 that Berlin would boycott if Israel is barred, labeling any exclusion a "scandal" and affirming Israel's "rightful place." France and Denmark have pledged unwavering participation, while San Marino dismissed boycott rumors outright.
Israel's Eurovision tenure has long intersected with politics, from Arab boycotts in the 1970s—Jordan cut its 1978 broadcast when Israel led votes, awarding victory to Belgium unilaterally—to the 2000 entry PingPong's onstage Syrian flags protesting occupation. The 2019 Tel Aviv hosting drew ire over West Bank settlements, and 2024's Malmö saw protests and boos for Eden Golan's "Hurricane," retitled from the politically charged "October Rain." In Basel, Yuval Raphael's performance faced disruptions from pro-Palestinian activists with whistles and flags, though audience boos were muted in broadcasts. Post-2025, broadcasters like the Netherlands demanded voting audits over suspicions of Israeli government ads boosting public scores.
Eurovision's origins in 1956 as a post-WWII bridge for divided Europe underscore the irony: Founded by the EBU to foster unity via shared broadcasting tech, it now grapples with the Israeli-Palestinian divide. Historian Chris West notes that including non-European nations like Israel was meant to expand the "Western cultural umbrella," but today's fractures risk an "existential crisis." EBU Director Martin Green has reiterated the event's apolitical ethos, yet precedents like Russia's expulsion—despite its broadcaster meeting criteria—fuel accusations of inconsistency.
As Vienna prepares—City Hall for the May 10 opening and EuroClub, Rathausplatz for the Village and screenings—organizers eye a €40 million spectacle blending techno-opera vibes from JJ's win with global flair. Twenty-five countries have signaled interest, but North Macedonia's MRT wavers on budgets. Ukraine's Suspilne plans its Vidbir final, while the UK's BBC eyes internal selection.
The December assembly looms as a referendum on Eurovision's soul. Will the ceasefire's "glimmer of hope"—as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi termed it—defuse the vote, or will boycotts cascade, shrinking the stage? Stakeholders from Madrid to Jerusalem watch closely, knowing that in a contest born of reconciliation, division could silence the music altogether. For now, the EBU's delay buys time, but the melody of unity hangs in precarious harmony.
