Controversies surrounding Israel could change Eurovision forever – BBC
Kyiv • UNN
Due to Israel's participation, a number of countries have announced a boycott of Eurovision 2026. Broadcasters are demanding a change in the rules for states that are at war.
The Eurovision Song Contest has found itself at the center of the biggest crisis in its 70-year history due to controversies surrounding Israel's participation and boycotts by several European broadcasters. This was reported by the BBC, according to UNN.
Details
Following last year's final in Basel, where Israel nearly won thanks to record-breaking audience support, several public broadcasters immediately questioned the current voting system. Israel's representative, Yuval Raphael, received mediocre scores from the jury but became the leader of the televote.
Critics claimed that Israeli authorities and government-linked social media accounts urged citizens to vote en masse for their contestant, using the maximum allowed number of votes. The European Broadcasting Union stated that no violations were found and the results were "valid and verified."
Several countries boycott the contest
In 2026, several broadcasters, including those from Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland, and Slovenia, withdrew from Eurovision. Some explained the decision as a protest against the war in Gaza and Israel's participation in the contest.
Some broadcasters also stated that geopolitics is increasingly influencing voting results and undermining trust in Eurovision as a music competition. In Slovenia and Spain, there are already open calls to change the rules and bar countries that are at war from participating.
Politicization of the contest
The BBC notes that the discussion intensified following Russia's suspension from Eurovision in 2022 due to the invasion of Ukraine. At that time, the Ukrainian group Kalush Orchestra won, which also sparked conversations about political influence on the voting.
The European Broadcasting Union currently insists that the contest must remain "united by music," however, an increasing number of participants and broadcasters believe that it is no longer possible to completely separate Eurovision from international politics.