Tensions over the war in Gaza move into the cultural sphere
Several European countries, including The Netherlands, Ireland and Iceland, said they could refuse to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026“, if Israel is allowed to compete.
This was reported by Reuters and Sky News.
The reason was Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which caused a wave of protests among European musicians and the public. Participants and national broadcasters are demanding that European Broadcasting Union (EBU) temporarily suspended Israel, as was once done with Russia in 2022.
European Broadcasting Union postpones decision
The EBU has announced that the issue of Israel's participation will be considered at the December assembly, and the vote scheduled for November cancelled due to political tensions.
«Eurovision should stay out of politics, but we cannot ignore the context in which the contest is taking place,» the organisation said.
A split among the participants
At the same time, some countries, including Germany, the Czech Republic and Hungary, opposed the boycott, saying that Eurovision is a platform for unity, and not political disputes.
However, opponents of Israeli involvement believe that Ignoring the war and humanitarian consequences in Gaza undermines the values of the competition.
Israeli reaction
Israel said that participation in the competition is «a matter of cultural representation, not politics», and the country does not intend to refuse from participation.
«Israel will perform, as always, with a song about peace and unity,» the Israeli delegation said.
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