EBU Pushes Back on Rumors Amid Growing Boycott Threats Against Israel at Eurovision
European Broadcasting Union rejects claims of requesting Israel to compete under neutral flag at Eurovision 2026, addressing growing boycott threats from multiple countries.
Twitter
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has rejected claims that Israel was asked to compete under a neutral flag at the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest or to temporarily withdraw from the competition.
In a statement issued Monday, the organization stressed: “The EBU has not made any proposal to Kan [Israel’s public broadcaster] regarding Israel’s participation. Discussions are ongoing, and no decision will be taken until the process is concluded.”
The clarification comes after reports in the Israeli media suggested the EBU had offered Israel the option of performing without its national flag amid growing boycott threats from European countries. Over the past weeks, broadcasters in Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain, one of the contest’s “Big Five” sponsors, have warned they would withdraw if Israel participates. Earlier this year, Icelandic representatives floated the idea of neutral participation as a compromise.
This is not the first time Israel’s place in Eurovision has been challenged due to the Israeli-Hamas conflict, but calls for exclusion have intensified since the outbreak of the war. The EBU has consistently maintained that Eurovision is a contest between public broadcasters, not between states, and therefore Israel’s participation remains valid under its rules.