News
Germany Threatens Eurovision Boycott If Israel Is Banned from Competing
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has sparked a new political controversy ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, warning that Germany could boycott the event if Israel is excluded. Speaking to public broadcaster ARD on Sunday, Merz declared: “I would support this. I think it’s a scandal that this is even being discussed. Israel has a place there.”
The statement comes amid intensifying debate across Europe over whether Israel should be allowed to compete in the world’s most-watched live music event, given ongoing international scrutiny over its military campaign in Gaza.
A Split Among Eurovision Nations
Germany’s position as one of the Eurovision “Big Five” — alongside France, Italy, Spain, and the UK — makes its stance especially significant. These nations contribute the most financially to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and automatically qualify for the final.
While France has confirmed it will participate regardless of Israel’s status, Spain has taken the opposite approach — becoming the first of the Big Five to announce that it will withdraw from the contest if Israel is not banned.
Smaller nations, including the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia, have also called for Israel’s exclusion. Meanwhile, Denmark’s national broadcaster DR stated it will not boycott the event if Israel competes, but has set conditions for its continued participation.
The EBU, caught in a growing divide, announced it will hold an extraordinary online General Assembly in November, where all member broadcasters will vote on whether to expel Israeli broadcaster KAN from Eurovision 2026.
Eurovision 2025
Cultural Diplomacy Meets Political Tension
Although the Eurovision Song Contest has long claimed to be apolitical, recent history tells a different story. The EBU banned Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but has allowed Israel to compete despite widespread protests.
At the 2024 contest in Sweden and again in 2025 in Switzerland, pro-Palestinian demonstrations swept through host cities, demanding that the EBU take a firmer stance. More than 70 former Eurovision contestants have since signed an open letter calling for Israel’s suspension, joined by Austrian singer JJ, last year’s Eurovision winner, who said he would support a ban.
In response, KAN released a statement expressing “hope that the Eurovision Song Contest will continue to maintain its cultural and apolitical character,” warning that excluding Israel “could be a step with wide-ranging implications.”
View this post on Instagram
Merz and Germany’s Official Position
Chancellor Merz’s remarks were backed by Germany’s Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer, who argued that excluding Israel “goes against the founding spirit of Eurovision.” “Eurovision was founded to bring nations together through music,” Weimer said. “It’s precisely because Eurovision was born on the ruins of war that it should not become a scene of exclusion.”
Germany’s stance places it at odds with several European nations that view Israel’s participation as a moral issue amid allegations of genocide in Gaza, which the International Court of Justice deemed “plausible.”
The 70th edition of Eurovision will take place in Vienna, Austria, with the final scheduled for 16 May 2026. Whether Israel — or Germany — will be part of it now hinges on a crucial vote this November that could redefine the contest’s political identity.
