Austria, hosting Eurovision 2026, speaks out following Spain's withdrawal: "Omitting Israel won't resolve humanitarian predicament in Gaza"
The participation of Israel in Eurovision 2026 is a topic of intense debate among European countries, with Austria, the host nation, taking a proactive stance to maintain the festival's unity and avoid politicisation.
Austria's Foreign Minister, Beate Meinl-Reisinger, has sent a letter to her European counterparts expressing her concerns about countries considering boycotting the festival due to Israel's participation. She believes that excluding Israel from Eurovision would not contribute to a sustainable political solution or alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Austria, the host country of Eurovision 2026, has joined the petition against boycotting the festival.
Last year's Eurovision winner, Johannes Pietsch, also known as JJ, favoured excluding Israel from the competition. He claimed that both Russia and Israel were military aggressors. However, his views on Israel's participation in Eurovision 2025 differ greatly from those of Meinl-Reisinger. JJ expressed his disappointment that Russia was excluded while Israel was allowed to participate in Eurovision 2025. If given the choice, JJ would have excluded both Russia and Israel from the competition.
Israel's representative, Yuval Raphael, received the highest score in the televote during Eurovision 2025 and finished in second place. His performance was praised by many, yet the political controversy surrounding his participation cast a shadow over his achievement.
Germany's Minister of Culture, Wolfram Weimer, criticized the threats of European countries trying to boycott the festival to prevent Israel's participation. He stated that cancel culture is not the solution. Weimer believes that Eurovision was founded to unite nations through music, and excluding Israel contradicts this fundamental idea.
The Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland, and Ireland have also announced their intention not to participate if Israel is included. Spain has followed suit, announcing it will not attend Eurovision 2026 if Israel participates.
The Management Board of RTVE approved this decision following a proposal by the President of the Corporation, José Pablo López. The decision has sparked controversy, with some arguing that politics should be kept out of the music competition.
Meanwhile, Israel's representative, Yuval Raphael, insists that efforts should focus on ensuring respect for International Law and working towards lasting peace. He believes that the televote in Eurovision should be better supervised to ensure fairness.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the organisation responsible for organising Eurovision, has yet to make a final decision on Israel's participation in Eurovision 2026. The situation remains uncertain, with the future of Israel's participation in the beloved music competition hanging in the balance.
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