Israel Retains Eurovision 2026 Eligibility as Four Nations Withdraw in Protest

Israel will participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the event, confirmed this decision on Thursday following a meeting in Geneva. The EBU did not hold a vote on Israel's membership. Instead, it introduced new rules designed to limit political influence from national governments on the contest. Immediately after the announcement, four countries confirmed their withdrawal. Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia had previously threatened to boycott the event over the war in Gaza. The EBU maintains that Eurovision is a non-political competition for public broadcasters, not governments. The new rules aim to reinforce this separation.