Austria’s public broadcaster ORF, which is set to host the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, announced Tuesday that it is working to reach a compromise regarding Israel’s participation in the international music competition, AFP reported.
Organizers of Eurovision had planned to vote on Israel’s participation in November but cancelled the meeting after a US-brokered ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hamas. A decision is now expected in December.
A growing number of countries have threatened to boycott the 70th edition of Eurovision, scheduled to take place in Vienna in May, unless Israel is excluded due to the war in Gaza. Among those threatening to withdraw are Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland, and the Netherlands. Belgium, Sweden, and Finland are also reportedly considering similar steps.
ORF Director General Roland Weissmann said he has engaged in “intense work” to persuade foreign counterparts to attend the contest. “Honestly, this is the time for diplomacy,” Weissmann told reporters.
Sepp Schellhorn, a senior official in Austria’s Foreign Ministry, condemned the boycott calls as “dumb and pointless.” Germany also criticized the move, accusing the boycotting countries of politicizing a cultural event.
In late October, Austria’s Chancellor Christian Stocker came out strongly against calls to exclude Israel from Eurovision, saying, “I would consider it a fatal mistake to exclude Israel.”
He added, “Based on our history alone, I would never be in favor of that,” referencing Austria’s shared responsibility for crimes committed during the Holocaust in World War II.
In April, shortly before the 2025 Eurovision contest held in Basel, formal requests to ban Israel were submitted by several countries, including Iceland and Spain.
The calls grew after Israel’s entry, “New Day Will Rise” performed by Yuval Raphael, came in second behind the Austrian winner, though Israel only received 60 points from the juries. The remaining 297 points came from the public, which overwhelmingly favored Israel’s entry over any other country.
Those results led broadcasters from Spain, Iceland, Belgium, Finland, and Ireland, to either request audits of their national televoting results or question the current methodology.
The Austrian winner of the 2025 contest, JJ, called for Israel to be suspended from Eurovision, though he later walked back those comments.