The European Broadcasting Union has postponed the November vote by all EBU members — originally scheduled for early November — which was to decide on Israel’s participation or exclusion from Eurovision 2026. As Austrian broadcaster ORF explains, the decision will now be made by the General Assembly in December, as originally planned before the EBU convened the special vote.
The news comes as jubilant scenes from the Middle East have been broadcast around the world. Hamas has freed the 20 remaining Israeli hostages who are still alive and Israel has released around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Although the next steps surrounding the future of Gaza still need to be discussed, U.S. President Donald Trump has declared an “end” to the war.
These events have seemingly convinced the EBU that it needed to take a different approach to deciding Israel’s participation.
“In light of recent developments in the Middle East, the Executive Board agrees that there is a clear need for an open and personal discussion among members on the question of participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026,” the EBU said in a statement. “Therefore, the issue has been placed on the agenda of the regular winter General Assembly, scheduled for December, rather than at an extraordinary meeting beforehand.”
“ORF welcomes the decision,” the broadcaster said in an initial statement.
Late last week, the Dutch broadcaster AvroTros made it clear that the cease-fire will not change its position. It will withdraw The Netherlands from the Eurovision Song Contest if Israel participates. In a strongly worded statement to AD.nl, the broadcaster said:
“Our decision about participation in 2026 was made carefully and deliberately, based on the events of this year, proven facts and verified reports.”
“We will not forget the serious human suffering in Gaza, nor the erosion of press freedom and the many casualties among journalists. The Israeli government’s interference in the last edition also weighs heavily in our assessment.”
Spain and Ireland previously announced that they too would withdraw from the competition in light of the situation in the Middle East if Israel were allowed to participate in Vienna. It’s unclear if recent developments will change their position.
The rule should be simple: a country on trial for genocide shall not be allowed to compete.
I love how all u losers think Israel has enough power and cares enough to rig the votes. I guess you’re all kids or just stupid.
Whatever.
The fact remains that this contest will forver be tainted by the Israeli government pumping huge amounts of cash to buy as many votes as possible therefore rigging the contest.
Does the EBU think we have short-term memory or something…? We’re still seeing the atrocities in Gaza with our own eyes.
Simple solution: allow Israel to participate with the same security arrangements of every either delegation. That means no Israeli secret service protection officers in the venue, green room, or press room. When Israel won in Lisbon the back of house became little Ben Gurion: aggressive interrogation of press and fans, additional sweeps and pat downs, and even other artists were aggresively kept from congratulation Netta.
This peace will not last till may. If EBU wamts to make it hard on themselves by that time be my guest.
As long as Israel is competing, it going to be injustice contest The past 2 years the Israeli government rigged the televote and you may not know what they going to do next . They are very good at playing the victim. If they have nothing to hide why aren’t they allowed international journalists in the premises during the war., which I think is weird.
I am calling it now: the NF season will be the highlight of Eurovision 2026.
I feel it coming. More trouble in 2026. Clearly, EBU and Austria are going to work tirelessly to keep Israel in. Is anyone working tirelessly for a level playing field in the televote?
Sooo. Tel Aviv 2027 or Jerusalem?
Eurovision 2026 will go ahead as scheduled.
Perhaps Netherlands will withdraw but Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and North Macedonia have all expressed an interest in returning. Kazakhstan has also said their request for an invite will be discussed at the December meeting.
Toxic fandom implodes
What an absolute disgrace. What will postponing it actually do? Crimes were still committed and the Israeli government and KAN played their part in it. Also the voting debacle that they openly admit was rigged. A ceasefire means nothing only that more kids aren’t being un alived. But the thousands of kids that were deserve justice. nothing has changed. The EBU should hang their heads in shame and Eurovision, is gone. I’d respect them more if they openly came out and said “look, we don’t want remove them” instead of this horsing around and delaying and postponing. i hope Ireland… Read more »
It was all two years late anyway.
“Also the voting debacle that they openly admit was rigged”
Source?
Source:
Israeli Foreign Ministry
and basically every other broadcaster.
thanks x
There are posters here who seem to think that once the ceasefire was put in place everything just returns to normal. There are over 2 million people in the Gaza strip without a roof over their head, without water, electricity or many basic necessities. People who’ve had their live torn apart, lost most of their family and now it’s OK????
I do hope that RTÉ stick to their guns on this. I’ve not heard a squeak from them about the submission of songs, whereas some countries are ploughing on with their selection processes regardless.
Ceasefire isn’t going to stop Israel from rigging the vote.
And West Bank & Gaza and most middle eastern countries wouldn’t know a democratic vote if it hit them!
I find postponing useless. We are talking about the country that has been involved in a war that brought countless victims, many of whom are kids, and whose army killed lots of journalists, and whose actions are judged by many UN scholars as genocide, and whose government was massively involved in organizing voting across Europe. What is point of having a peace in December, when it could easily escalate in the spring or later on? Suspension of Israel is the only path and if that doesn’t happen I think broadcasters better just save money and withdraw from Eurovision 2026. I… Read more »
Agree. We should know ASAP in order to book hotels, flights.. or not.
I think its time to start planning the new ESC out of the UER. There are many fresh ideas, like inviting people from Latin America or North Africa… It will be enriching and I think >90% of the eurofans will attend. Eurovi$ion is officially RIP.
It’s over Elisa, stop with your hate narrative. Music has won, politics are gone.
Great News !! Vibes of peace in the air!! Time to focus on music (not politics). Getting excited for 2026 edition in Austria
Vibes of sweeping it under the carpet and hoping the heat dissipates more like.
EBU is weak af.
This is not a political context
Jerusalem 2027 here we go
Amazing news! We brought them home. We can live, love, song and dance. But we will never forget
I hope you never forget.
i hope the shame of your countries actions follows you for generations, ensure that you never forget.
What about Turkey? You don’t seem to care what it did to Cyprus. But double standards hypocrisy. When Cyprus tried to raise the issue in 1990s it was told not to bring politics into ESC and that Turkey was welcome with noone reacting and you would welcome Turkey anytime with open arms
Yeah, I’ll see you guys in December. I don’t feel like staying here for the storm
Unfortunately saw it coming. We shouldn’t stop here. Israel should BY NO MEANS be welcome at Eurovision. First and foremost because of the apartheid regime imposed on Palestinians and it being an obstacle to a Palestinian State and secondly because they are certain to once again corrupt the voting at the contest.
We need tangible acts from the broadcasters now! As many as you can withdraw from the contest if Israel participates!
Enough of your hate and politics! Keep politics and hate out of ESC.
No can do. Politics are everywhere because humans are social beings. Even ignoring the obvious disgrace of Israel’s participation is politics in itself and the worst kind imaginable.
Let alone the fact that Israel’s participation is a political decision by the EBU itself and Israel uses the contest as a propaganda platform, so we are not the ones that politicised the contest first.
Lets bring back Russia and Belarus too
Israel literally sent two political songs in a row and their government spent so much on those voting campaigns. You’re telling the wrong people to keep politics out of the ESC.
Great news! And to be expected. It’s time to move on and turn a new leaf. Enough of the hate. Enough of the politics. This is a song competition after all, with the entire purpose to put aside hate and politics and to unify.
“Enough of the politics.” Well yes, but tell this to Israel. They tried to mix Eurovision with politics for two years.