The European Broadcasting Union has postponed until December a key vote on Israel’s participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, citing uncertainty over the Gaza ceasefire and mounting pressure from broadcasters threatening to boycott the event.
Israel’s participation in next year’s Eurovision remains in doubt after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced on Monday that it would delay a decision on the country’s entry until December. The move follows calls from several member states to suspend Israel’s involvement amid the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
The EBU said it was cancelling a meeting originally planned for November, during which a final vote had been scheduled. The union said discussions would resume “once the situation in the Middle East becomes clearer.”
Austria, which will host the 2026 contest in Vienna after its victory last year, welcomed the delay. National broadcaster ORF said the decision “helped maintain the unity and credibility of the contest.”
The dispute marks one of the most serious crises in Eurovision’s 70-year history. Since Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel, the country’s entries have faced widespread protests. Thousands demonstrated outside the 2024 contest in Sweden, while activists in Basel earlier this year attempted to storm the stage during Israeli singer Yuval Raphael’s performance.
According to Israeli media outlet Ynet, the EBU has privately advised Israel’s delegation that it may need to perform under a neutral flag if it wishes to remain in the competition — an arrangement similar to that used for Russian athletes at the Olympics.
The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest is due to take place in Vienna, with semi-finals scheduled for 12 and 14 May and the finale on 16 May.
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