Israel will participate in the ESC 2026 in Vienna

Despite boycott threats from several countries, Israel still intends to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna. "There is no reason why Israel should not continue to be an important part of this cultural event, which must not become political under any circumstances," said the director of the Israeli television station Kan, Golan Jochpaz, according to several Israeli media outlets.

Spain Intensifies Tone Before ESC in Vienna

This is the first reaction to the announcements of several countries not to participate in the ESC if Israel is involved. The broadcasters of Ireland and the Netherlands had recently firmly suggested not being part of the event in Vienna if Israel were admitted. On Monday, Spain also intensified its tone - and thus one of the so-called Big Five major contributors. "If we do not succeed in excluding Israel, Spain should not participate," said Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun on Monday on public radio. "We must ensure that Israel does not participate in the next edition of the Eurovision Song Contest," Urtasun continued.

Other ESC participant countries also view Israel's participation critically, including Slovenia and Belgium. In Belgium, there are two public broadcasters that broadcast the ESC. The French-speaking RTBF sends the candidate and stated upon request from dpa that preparations would continue. A final decision will be made in December after the EBU General Assembly. At the ESC, the European Broadcasting Union EBU, the association of European broadcasters, is the organizer and thus responsible for the admission of countries.

The Flemish broadcaster VRT said: "The VRT shares and supports the position of the countries withdrawing from the Eurovision Song Contest." They expect a clear signal from the organizer and otherwise reserve the right not to broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest in the future.

Weißmann Advocated for Israel's Participation

The ORF, in the person of Director General Roland Weißmann, as the host of the ESC 2026, had already clearly spoken out in favor of Israel's participation - a stance also supported by the Board of Trustees. ESC Director Martin Green of the EBU expressed understanding last week for the concerns of several countries in light of the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip. However, consultations with all EBU member states on the topic are still ongoing. Broadcasters have until mid-December to announce whether they will participate in the next ESC in May in Vienna.

(APA/Red)

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