The organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest have canceled a planned online meeting in November to vote on Israel’s participation, citing “developments” in the Middle East, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced today, in a clear reference to the ceasefire in Gaza.
Austria had urged countries not to boycott next year’s competition, set to take place in Vienna, due to concerns over Israel’s participation and the ongoing two-year conflict in Gaza.
The Eurovision Song Contest, which emphasizes its political neutrality, became a point of contention this year regarding the war, with several countries threatening to withdraw if Israel were to participate.
Austria’s state broadcaster, ORF, which will host the 2026 contest, told Reuters it welcomes the EBU’s decision.
Release of Israeli Hostages
Today, Hamas released the last surviving Israeli hostages from Gaza, while Israel freed hundreds of Palestinian prisoners under a ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the two-year war.
“The Council agreed to include the issue on the agenda of the scheduled Winter General Assembly in December,” instead of holding an extraordinary online meeting planned for November, the EBU stated.
Furthermore, the EBU noted that, following “recent developments in the Middle East,” the Executive Board agreed today that an in-person discussion among members regarding participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest is necessary.
When asked by Reuters, the EBU did not clarify whether a vote on the participation of Israel’s broadcaster, KAN, will take place, stating that further details about the meeting will be announced in the coming weeks.
KAN has not yet commented on the matter.
Source: AMPE
Stay updated with the latest news from Greece and around the world on greekcitytimes.com.
Contact our newsroom to share your updates, stories, photos, or videos. Follow GCT on Google News and Apple News.
