Israel’s participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest appears increasingly at risk. After the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced Thursday that a special online vote on the issue will be held in early November, Israel’s public broadcaster Kan initially responded that a 75 percent supermajority would be required to expel Israel.
But in a clarification to Ynet, the EBU said only a simple majority is needed to bar Israel from competing in 2026. That means Kan would need to secure the support of at least 35 countries — more than double the 18 it previously believed sufficient — out of the 68 expected to vote. Israeli officials admitted privately that this new math makes the task “very difficult, perhaps too difficult.”
Earlier in the day, the EBU acknowledged that deep divisions have emerged among its members over Israel’s participation, leaving no choice but to hold a democratic vote. The union had appointed a special monitor to examine the matter, but he reportedly never met with Israeli officials, effectively giving Jerusalem no opportunity to present its case. The EBU did not respond when asked why Israel was excluded from that process.
In a statement, the EBU confirmed that its board sent a letter to all member broadcasters announcing that the vote will take place in an extraordinary online session of the General Assembly in early November.
The union emphasized that this vote concerns only Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026 and does not affect Kan’s overall membership in the EBU. Officials pointed to existing statutes, which cover the removal of member broadcasters, stressing that because Israel’s membership is not in question, the lower voting threshold of a regular majority applies.
The clarification significantly raises the stakes for Israel, as more broadcasters across Europe have already signaled opposition to its participation. Meanwhile, Kan has warned that expelling Israel, one of Eurovision’s longest-standing and most successful participants, would politicize the contest and damage its cultural character ahead of its 70th anniversary.