Israel secured its place in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest only after an intensive, months-long diplomatic campaign that unfolded largely behind the scenes, Israeli officials said Thursday, describing a coordinated effort involving KAN executives, government advisers and the President’s Residence to prevent the country’s expulsion.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) approved rule changes at its general assembly in Geneva that cleared the way for Israel to participate in next year’s competition in Vienna. The decision followed rising calls from several European broadcasters to bar Israel, and what officials described as the most serious push yet to force a vote on its removal.
KAN chief executive Golan Yokhpaz and attorney Ayala Mizrahi, who has handled legal strategy for two years of mounting boycott efforts, led Israel’s delegation in Geneva. Both engaged in direct lobbying of EBU members, aiming to prevent the assembly from moving to a binding vote that Israel feared it might lose.
President Isaac Herzog created a dedicated team at his residence to coordinate diplomatic outreach, convinced that an expulsion could snowball into a broader political setback for Israel in Europe. Israeli officials said Herzog personally urged international partners to oppose a vote on Israel’s removal and instead back reforms that would ease tensions inside the EBU.
Those reforms — including restrictions on governmental involvement in song promotion and adjustments to jury-public voting rules — were widely interpreted as compromises aimed at addressing complaints raised by critics of Israel without triggering expulsion. EBU members adopted the package in a secret ballot.
But the move immediately triggered a backlash: the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia announced they would withdraw from the 2026 contest in protest of Israel’s continued participation.
A senior EBU official, speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to comment publicly, told ynet the organization now faces “a major challenge,” pointing to a wave of cancellations and reputational damage.
Herzog praised the Israeli delegation for what officials described as a painstaking diplomatic effort. “Israel deserves to be represented on every stage,” he said, adding that the decision reflected “solidarity and cooperation” among those who defended Israel’s participation.
In its statement, the EBU said the reforms were designed to strengthen trust and preserve the contest’s neutrality, and that all members agreeing to the new rules may participate in 2026.
The next Eurovision is set for Vienna in May.