Eurovision organizers reportedly sent an unofficial message telling Israel to temporarily drop out of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest or perform under a neutral flag to avoid being ousted, Ynet reported on Sunday, with several other countries threatening to boycott the annual musical extravaganza if Israel takes part.
The unofficial message comes ahead of a European Broadcasting Union assembly set to take place in Geneva, at which the issue of Israel’s participation is expected to be discussed amid mounting anger at Israel over the ongoing Gaza war.
Presently, Israel is among 22 countries that have expressed their interest in participating in the 2026 contest in Austria, but several countries have said they would not make a final decision on their participation until after the assembly in December.
If the union does not vote to oust Israel from the competition, six countries have threatened to withdraw.
Spanish Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun on Monday reiterated the threat.
“We have to ensure that Israel does not take part in the next edition of Eurovision. Just as Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland and also the Netherlands have already done, if we do not succeed in expelling Israel, Spain should not participate,” he said during an interview with Spanish public radio.
According to Ynet, the officials who sent Israel the unofficial message said that a temporary withdrawal or a neutral flag could placate other countries and save Israel from a “humiliating elimination.”
A neutral flag could potentially be a flag bearing the logo of Israel’s Kan public broadcaster, which represents Israel at the EBU, Ynet reported, citing the officials, as the countries opposing Israeli participation take issue with the Israeli government’s policies and not the broadcaster specifically.
Israel is not likely to accept the recommendation, Ynet said, for fear that a temporary withdrawal would become permanent.
Another unofficial suggestion made recently, Ynet said, was for Kan to publish a statement officially condemning the government and the IDF, which those who made the suggestion believe could work to Israel’s benefit in the EBU vote.
Responding to Ynet’s request for comment, the EBU distanced itself from the report, saying that “consultation with the broader companies of the EBU is ongoing and no decisions will be made until the end of the process.”
The EBU held a meeting in London in July in which Israel’s participation next year was discussed, but the union declined to vote on the matter then, pushing off the decision until December.
Kan told Ynet that it had not received any messages of this nature.
International pressure continues to mount on the Israeli government to end the nearly two-year war against Hamas in Gaza that was sparked by the terror group’s invasion and massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023, and to urgently address the humanitarian crisis there.
The pressure has recently increased in the entertainment industry with several open letters signed by prominent figures from the worlds of cinema, music and literature calling for an end to the war and a boycott of Israeli organizations.
Israel denies carrying out genocide in the Gaza Strip, saying it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities during the war and stressing that Hamas uses civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools and mosques.