German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he would want his country to withdraw from the Eurovision Song Contest if Israel were to be excluded from the competition at a European Broadcasting Union vote set to take place in November.

“If Israel is excluded, I would support not taking part,” he told German talk show host Caren Miosga on Sunday, according to local media.

Calling the debate on whether to ban Israel “scandalous,” Merz said that “Israel belongs in Eurovision.”

The November online vote, ahead of the December deadline for countries to confirm their participation, will see all participating states vote on whether to exclude Israel from the competition in 2026 over its war against Hamas in Gaza.

While France, Austria and Australia have also spoken out against barring Israel, Germany — one of the “Big Five” countries that contribute the most financially to Eurovision and are automatically granted a place in its final — is the first to threaten to drop out if it happens.

Meanwhile, Spain — another of the “Big Five” — as well as Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Iceland, have all threatened to withdraw if Israel does participate.

But Merz told Miosga that Germany’s “solidarity with Israel has never been in question.”

“My personal feelings toward Israel are entirely positive. It’s a wonderful country. However, in my opinion, some of the military actions in the Gaza war went too far.”

The calls to ban Israel from the Eurovision are part of Israel’s increasing isolation as it faces heavy global criticism for its two-year war with Hamas in Gaza.

The war broke out on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a massive, unprecedented attack on Israel, murdering some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages.

But as the war has dragged on and the humanitarian situation in Gaza has worsened, Israel has faced increasing pressure to end the war, both in the diplomatic sphere and in the entertainment and sporting industries, where there have been calls to ban Israel from various international competitions and where numerous entertainment industry workers have called for a boycott of Israeli work.

While a deal to end the war between Israel and Hamas could possibly be finalized and implemented in the near future, it is unclear whether the EBU vote will take place even if the war has ended by the time it is scheduled to occur.

Regardless, Merz said Germany would participate in rehabilitation efforts for the Gaza Strip, saying the global community had to “ensure that hunger is addressed and that reconstruction begins.”

“We have already offered to help, and we will do so together with other European countries. Germany will certainly be at the forefront of efforts to end the suffering of Gaza’s population,” he said.