Vote on Israel's participation in Eurovision postponed.
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Tony Scanlon
Oct 13, 2025, 4:47:28 PM (3 days ago) Oct 13
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"Vote on Israel’s participation in Eurovision postponed due to Gaza ceasefire
The vote will now take place during an EBU assembly in December.
4.18pm, 13 Oct 2025
5.9k
THE EUROPEAN BROADCASTING Union (EBU) has postponed a planned vote on whether Israel will be allowed to take part in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest due to the ongoing the Gaza ceasefire.
The decision comes after months of mounting pressure from national broadcasters over Israel’s participation due to its role in the genocidal war on Gaza.
RTÉ, Spain’s RTVE, and the Netherlands’ AVROTROS had all previously pledged to withdraw if Israel’s state broadcaster KAN remained in the competition, while Slovenia and Iceland’s public broadcasters also indicated they may follow suit.
Following a meeting today, the EBU postponed the vote until December.
In a statement to The Journal, an EBU spokesperson said: “In the light of recent developments in the Middle East, the Executive Board agreed there was a clear need to organise an open and in-person discussion among its Members on the issue of participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest.”
The statement added that the issue will now be discussed at the EBU’s Winter General Assembly in December, rather than at an extraordinary session next month.
The move comes just days after UEFA similarly paused plans to vote on banning Israel from European football, following the announcement of Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan for the region.
An ongoing ceasefire agreement is in place in the region which has resulted in the release of all remaining living Israeli hostages held in Gaza and thousands of Palestinians detained without charge in Israel.
The EBU’s president Delphine Ernotte-Cunci previously acknowledged an “unprecedented diversity of views” among members over Israel’s participation, saying that the issue required “a broader democratic basis.”
Israel’s public broadcaster KAN has said it hopes Eurovision will “continue to maintain its cultural and political character.”
It warned that removing Israel, “one of the veteran, most popular and successful competitors” could have “significant consequences” ahead of the contest’s 70th anniversary.
It is not yet clear if RTÉ’s position on the EBU vote has changed since the Gaza ceasefire came into effect.
“Clearly, events in the Middle East are unfolding day by day,” an RTÉ spokesperson said, adding that the broadcaster had been informed of the revised December voting date."
The vote will now take place during an EBU assembly in December.
4.18pm, 13 Oct 2025
5.9k
THE EUROPEAN BROADCASTING Union (EBU) has postponed a planned vote on whether Israel will be allowed to take part in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest due to the ongoing the Gaza ceasefire.
The decision comes after months of mounting pressure from national broadcasters over Israel’s participation due to its role in the genocidal war on Gaza.
RTÉ, Spain’s RTVE, and the Netherlands’ AVROTROS had all previously pledged to withdraw if Israel’s state broadcaster KAN remained in the competition, while Slovenia and Iceland’s public broadcasters also indicated they may follow suit.
Following a meeting today, the EBU postponed the vote until December.
In a statement to The Journal, an EBU spokesperson said: “In the light of recent developments in the Middle East, the Executive Board agreed there was a clear need to organise an open and in-person discussion among its Members on the issue of participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest.”
The statement added that the issue will now be discussed at the EBU’s Winter General Assembly in December, rather than at an extraordinary session next month.
The move comes just days after UEFA similarly paused plans to vote on banning Israel from European football, following the announcement of Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan for the region.
An ongoing ceasefire agreement is in place in the region which has resulted in the release of all remaining living Israeli hostages held in Gaza and thousands of Palestinians detained without charge in Israel.
The EBU’s president Delphine Ernotte-Cunci previously acknowledged an “unprecedented diversity of views” among members over Israel’s participation, saying that the issue required “a broader democratic basis.”
Israel’s public broadcaster KAN has said it hopes Eurovision will “continue to maintain its cultural and political character.”
It warned that removing Israel, “one of the veteran, most popular and successful competitors” could have “significant consequences” ahead of the contest’s 70th anniversary.
It is not yet clear if RTÉ’s position on the EBU vote has changed since the Gaza ceasefire came into effect.
“Clearly, events in the Middle East are unfolding day by day,” an RTÉ spokesperson said, adding that the broadcaster had been informed of the revised December voting date."
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