The union explained in a statement to Reuters that "the vote on participation in the Eurovision 2026 competition will take place at an extraordinary meeting of the union's general assembly, held online, in early November," adding that the vote concerns the participation of the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (Kan Radio).
Participation in the competition, which is widely watched in Europe and beyond, is limited to public broadcasters that are members of the union, with Kan Radio being the sole member representing Israel. The latter did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
The Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung reported that members were informed of the vote in a letter from UEFA President Delphine Ernot-Konze, in which she noted that the Executive Board was unable to reach a consensus on Israel's participation. She added: "Given that the EU has never faced such a contentious situation before, it was decided to resort to a broader democratic basis for decision-making."
On September 16, the board of directors of the Spanish Broadcasting Corporation (TEB) voted to withdraw from the competition if Israel participated, making Spain the fifth country to do so after the Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland, and Ireland, and the first of the "Big Five" countries to automatically qualify for the final, which also includes the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and France.
A number of artists and countries have urged the federation to exclude Israel from the 2025 edition, including Austrian singer JJ, the winner of this year's edition. The controversy comes after a UN commission of inquiry concluded this September that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been committing genocide in Gaza, leaving more than 65,549 martyrs and 167,518 wounded, most of them children and women.
