EBU cancels vote on Israel's Eurovision 2026 participation

Overnight, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) cancelled the planned vote on Israel's Eurovision 2026 participation.

The issue has been rescheduled for the original date of the EBU General Assembly in December.

However, the December meeting will no longer be a vote but an open discussion among EBU members.

In a statement the EBU said:

"There is a clear need to organize an open and personal discussion among its members on participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026," they said.

"Consequently, the Council decided to place the issue on the agenda of the Ordinary Winter General Assembly, which will take place in December, rather than convening an extraordinary meeting beforehand."

The news comes during an Israel-Palestine ceasefire as part of a broader Peace Plan for the region.

A ceasefire will not stop boycotts

Netherlands is one of the countries that declared they will not participate in 2026 if Israel competes.

They have stated they will still withdraw if Israel is there.

“Our decision about participation in [Eurovision] 2026 was made carefully and deliberately, based on the events of this year, proven facts and verified reports," they said in an earlier statement.

“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.”

“If a ceasefire is reached in the near future or the conflict evolves differently, that will not change our position for [Eurovision] 2026. We will reassess participation in subsequent years, depending on the circumstances at that time.”

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