Why Israel’s place in Eurovision is worth fighting for

Germany has said it will withdraw if Israel is not allowed to participate, and Austria said that if there is a boycott against Israel, Vienna would not host Eurovision 2026.

The Eurovision Song Contest has been in the news a great deal lately because representatives of a number of countries have been asking to have Israel banned from the 2026 contest, which is set to take place in Vienna in May.

If you grew up in a country that doesn’t take part, you may wonder what all the fuss is about and why Israelis care so passionately about competing in it.

The short answer is that Israelis tend to have a soft spot for Eurovision because it was the first major international competition of any kind that Israel excelled in, and in which it continues to excel.

While there have long been calls to exclude Israel and several security threats against the Israeli delegation, since the war in Gaza broke out in 2023, these calls have intensified. Several countries have threatened to drop out of the 2026 competition if Israel takes part, including Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Iceland.

Spain’s decision is especially significant because it is one of Eurovision’s “big five” sponsors; the others are France, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Germany, Austria, Sweden

But other countries have shown support for Israel. Germany has said it will withdraw if Israel is not allowed to participate, and in a very important development, the leaders of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) andAustrian Chancellor Christian Stocker and State Secretary Alexander Pröll announced last week that if there is a boycott against Israel’s participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, Austria’s national broadcaster ORF will not host Eurovision.

Sweden has also said it does not believe countries should be kicked out of Eurovision, since it is an apolitical contest, the permanent slogan of which is “United By Music.”

The general assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the group that runs Eurovision, had called for a vote on the issue in November, a meeting that was initially scheduled for December and was then moved up. But following the ceasefire announcement and the release of the 20 living hostages from Hamas captivity, this vote was canceled.

There will be a meeting of the EBU in December and representatives of the public broadcasters in participating countries will be permitted to discuss their feelings and concerns about Israel’s participation there; however, at present there are no plans to hold a vote in this meeting, so the possibility of Israel being kicked out of the contest seems to be gone – for now.

Israeli fans

Israeli Eurovision fans will stay vigilant over the possibility that the EBU may bow to pressure from some of its more anti-Israel members and reschedule the vote.

Obviously, graver matters are unfolding than a pop song contest, but Eurovision has special meaning for many Israelis. Hundreds of millions around the world tune in to the contest every year, and the winner of the carefully stage-managed event is determined by a combination of votes by national juries, which are comprised of music and television industry professionals in the participating countries, and audience voting.

Part of the ethos of peaceful competition is that no country can vote for itself.

Israel has excelled in the competition since it began taking part in 1973, when Ilanit represented Israel, finishing fourth.

This was before Israeli television series likeFauda, Tehran, and Bad Boy were shown around the world, and before Gal Gadot became a Hollywood superstar while embracing her Israeli identity.

Winning at Eurovision

It would be nearly 20 years before Israel would win its first Olympic medal, when Yael Arad took second place in judo in 1992. But Israel has been winning at Eurovision for almost 50 years.

Ilanit’s top-five finish on Israel’s first Eurovision outing was no fluke. Israel took home the top prize in 1978 and 1979 with wins for Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta for the song “A-Ba-Ni-Bi,” which was translated into many languages and became an international hit, and Milk and Honey for “Hallelujah,” respectively.

In 1998, Israel won again withDana International’s “Diva,” and she made history by being the first openly trans contestant – starting a trend of trans performers at Eurovision. Dana International’s triumph also gave the world a window into Israel’s LGBTQ scene, a community that is especially devoted to Eurovision.

While for decades the top prize eluded Israel, Israelis continued to be devoted Eurovision fans. Finally, in 2018, Netta Barzilai became Israel’s fourth Eurovision winner with her rousing rendition of “Toy,” a self-empowerment anthem. The 2019 Eurovision competition was held in Tel Aviv.

Ofra Haza

Even when Israel didn’t win, its participation was a matter of national pride. Ofra Haza, one of the greatest Israeli pop stars of all time, finished second in 1983, singing, “Chai,” a paean to Jewish survival. Her performance was all the more meaningful because it was sung in Hebrew and included the line, “Am Yisrael chai,” and also because that year, Eurovision was held in Munich, 11 years after Israeli Olympic athletes and coaches were murdered there in a terror attack.

The fact that Israelis love to sing is also a factor, and so many gatherings and events, such as holiday parties in schools, feature sing-alongs.

The country virtually shuts down when Eurovision rolls around, as even those who don’t generally follow pop music tune in. Watch parties are thrown all over the country, both in private homes and restaurants. Eurovision is a significant part of Israeli life and identity.

In the wake of WWII

Eurovision was started in the wake of World War II to encourage peaceful competition among nations and has blossomed into a glittery extravaganza, which is big business. Dozens of blogs and websites – perhaps even hundreds – chronicle every step of the process. All the betting websites tote up the odds.

Many have asked, especially in recent years, why Israel is in Eurovision at all, since it is not in Europe. The answer is that Israel was adopted into the European Broadcasting Union, the body that sponsors Eurovision, and that once Israel’s public broadcaster joined, the country was welcomed into Eurovision.

Several other countries outside of Europe also compete in Eurovision: Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Morocco (which competed once).

A launching pad

While once it was a more earnest affair, where competitors sang in their native languages and often wore costumes that had elements of traditional dress in their countries, now it is more homogenized, with the majority of songs performed in English. The colorful native costumes were replaced decades ago with flashy, skin-baring outfits that would not be out of place inLas Vegas.

Eurovision has always been a launching pad for talented performers from around the world, which is part of its mystique. Among the singers and groups who became stars or got a big career boost following European appearances are ABBA (who won with “Waterloo” in 1974), Celine Dion, Olivia Newton-John, Julio Iglesias, and France Gall.

In addition to “Waterloo,” other hit tunes have come out of Eurovision, including “Ding-a-dong,” by Teach-In, and “Save Your Kisses for Me,” by Brotherhood of Man.

Noa Kirel

Many of Israel’s top stars have represented the country. Most recently, pop diva Noa Kirel was chosen by the government to represent Israel in 2023 without participating in a talent contest and finished third overall with the song “Unicorn,” which became a hit. Other stars who have represented Israel over the years include Poogy (an incarnation of Kaveret), Yardena Arazi, Sarit Hadad, Shiri Maimon, and Rita.

For every heartfelt ballad, there are novelty and joke tunes, like the 2025 Estonian entry, “Espresso Macchiato,” a song making fun of Italian stereotypes, which came in third.

Another example of a silly song that was popular in Eurovision was this year’s Swedish entry, “Bara, Bada, Bastu,” which extols the virtues of Finnish-style saunas, and which came in fourth.

The silliness is part of the fun, and Israelis enjoy that, too, and have sent those kinds of songs into the contest, such as Teapacks’ 2007 song, “Push the Button,” or “Song of the Lazy Bums” by Avi Kushnir and Natan Datner in 1987.

Calls to exclude Israel

When there were calls to kick Israel out in 2024 and 2025 due to the war, the EBU issued statements repeatedly saying that Eurovision is not a competition between governments but between public broadcasters, and thatKAN, Israel’s public broadcaster, has not violated its rules.

Russia was suspended from the competition following its invasion of Ukraine because its public broadcaster broke EBU rules by broadcasting government propaganda.

KAN receives government funds, but its content is independent, and it has, in fact, angered the government so much that Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi has threatened to shut it down and has tried to pass legislation to dismantle it.

KAN remains a member in good standing of the EBU. In 2024, the EBU posted this statement on its website: “The Israel public service broadcaster has been a member of the EBU for over 60 years. The Russian public service broadcasters had their EBU membership suspended in 2022 due to consistent breaches of membership obligations and the violation of public service media values.”

In 2024, the first Eurovision competition following the Hamas massacre and the outbreak of the war was held in Malmö, Sweden – a city known for its high volume of antisemitic incidents. There are always threats to Israeli delegations all over the world, but the threats against Eden Golan, Israel’s 2024 representative, were considered so serious that she disguised herself with sunglasses and wigs when she traveled around the city.

Fins and Icelandics

Thousands of Finnish and Icelandic performers signed a petition in 2024 asking for Israel to be banned, due to what they termed “war crimes” by the government.

So it wasn’t surprising that when Golan took to the stage to sing “Hurricane” by Keren Peles, a song about losing love amid trauma – an earlier version of the song, called “October Rain,” had been deemed too political for Eurovision, and it had been rewritten and resubmitted – at rehearsals and in the semifinals and finals, a loud chorus of people booing tried to drown her out.

To her credit, Golan, who was just 20 at the time, kept her composure and then some, as if each taunt helped her focus and gave her energy.

But it wasn’t only some in the audience who harassed her. Protesters, including Greta Thunberg, staged demonstrations against Golan and the Israeli delegation. Many fellow performers went out of their way to disrespect her, including Ireland’s Bambie Thug, who said they cried when they learned Israel had made it to the finals.

Greek singer Marina Satti pretended to fall asleep as Golan spoke at a press conference, and the Netherlands’ Joost Klein put a Dutch flag over his face.

‘Safe for everyone’

Perhaps the worst moment came when a Polish journalist asked Golan, “Have you ever thought that by being here, you bring risk and danger for other participants?” as if he were blaming her for the fact that people were threatening her life.

Told she didn’t have to answer the question,Golan responded, nonetheless, “I think we’re all here for one reason, and one reason only. And the EBU is taking all safety precautions to make this a safe and united place for everyone, so I think it’s safe for everyone.”

In the end, she placed second in the audience voting, but received much lower scores from the national juries, finishing fifth overall.

In spite of the tumult surrounding her participation, Raphael remained upbeat, saying upon her return home, “It is a huge privilege that I am here and that I had the opportunity to represent our country, especially in moments like this, and that I represented the country and was the voice for everyone who needs to be sent home now.”

Eurovision in Basel

In 2025, at the Eurovision contest held in Basel, Israel picked a similarly brave young performer, Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the Nova massacre, to represent Israel.

Having faced terrorists for hours while hiding in a bomb shelter, she said in interviews that she would not be spooked by some Europeans making noise, and she even rehearsed to the sound of boos to prepare her.

“There will be booing… [T]here’s nothing I can do about it,” she told Ynet. “I’m still coming with the same agenda. And you know what? More than that, I think this is the kind of situation that will open my heart even more,” she said before her appearance.

Just as in 2024, there were threats against her and the Israeli delegation. As she walked the turquoise carpet prior to the opening of the competition, a man made a gesture as if he meant toslit her throat. It was a deliberate and chilling threat.

‘New Day Will Rise’

But in the end, she performed without incident, singing “New Day Will Rise,” a moving song of renewal after tragedy, also written by Peles, which featured the lyrics, “New day will rise/Life will go on/Everyone cries/Don’t cry alone/Darkness will fade/All the pain will fade/But we will stay/Even if you say goodbye.” It also included a line in Hebrew from Song of Songs, “Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers sweep it away.”

Audiences around the world loved the song and Raphael’s performance, in which she climbed a glittering staircase as she sang.

Raphael, 24, had never sung professionally before entering Next Star for Eurovision on Keshet 12, the talent competition that chooses Israel’s Eurovision contestant, but she gave a flawless, heartfelt performance and came in first in the audience voting. To no one’s surprise, the national juries scored her much lower, and she ended up in second place overall.

Her victory in the audience vote was widely celebrated at home.

Austrian contestant irked

However, her win irked many abroad, including Eurovision performers. Austria’s JJ, who won the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Wasted Love,” was upset that Israel took part and came in first in the audience voting.

“I hope the competition next year will take place in Vienna – without Israel,” he said in an interview with the Spanish news outlet El País. “But the ball is in the European Broadcasting Union’s court. We artists can only raise our voices on the matter. It’s very disappointing that Israel is still taking part in the contest.”

He also called the audience voting system problematic. “There needs to be a change in the voting system. There should be more transparency in the televoting. This year, everything was very strange on that front,” he said.

Spain, Finland, Netherlands, Ireland

Finland’s contestant, Erika Vikman, made a statement that referenced classic antisemitic tropes, which was quoted in Wiwibloggs, a website devoted to Eurovision news, that, “I read in Helsingin Sanomat today that Israel has been able to manipulate votes to a great extent. I feel that it is very unfair.”

The public broadcasters inSpain, Finland, the Netherlands, and Ireland asked the EBU to examine the audience voting results for fraud following Raphael’s audience-vote win. They were especially critical of the fact that audience members can vote up to 20 times, although this has been allowed in the televoting since the late ’90s. Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish prime minister, weighed in to call for Israel to be banned.

Several European broadcasters and journalists have cited the fact that the Israeli government – and not KAN – sponsored ads on YouTube and other places, urging the public to vote for Raphael.

Defending integrity

But Martin Green, the director of Eurovision, made a strongly worded statement last May defending the integrity of the voting system, which he called “the most advanced in the world.” Wiwibloggs reported that Spotlight, the EBU’s independent fact-checking network, found that there was nothing against Eurovision rules in the Israeli promotional campaign.

Wiwibloggs’ Jordi Pedra wrote, “Spotlight’s investigation notes that other countries also ran advertising campaigns, including Malta, Greece, Albania, Poland, Armenia, and France. Some of these were run by the artists themselves via their own social platforms, and some were promoted via the competing broadcaster in the territory.”

But it was only Israel that performers and broadcasters said should be investigated.

Audiences embrace Israel

There would probably be a push to ban Israel no matter how its contestants fared recently, but the fact that the previous three Israeli performers have finished third, fifth, and second, and that Raphael came in first with audiences, may have made Israel-hating Europeans feel especially threatened.

The fact thatEuropean audiences have embraced Israeli participants and given them their votes contradicts the narrative that Israel is a hated, pariah state.

The anti-Israel European broadcasters and performers can do their worst to get Israel banned, but they will come up against the fact that Israelis are good at holding their ground for a cause they believe is worth fighting for.