It is now official: Israel will compete in Eurovision 2026 in Vienna. The decision was made a short time ago in a secret ballot held by the European Broadcasting Union's general assembly.
A total of 738 delegates voted in favor of changing the contest's voting rules and supporting a waiver on the voting issue. Another 264 delegates opposed the new rules and demanded a formal, separate vote on Israel's participation. One hundred twenty delegates abstained.
Following the vote, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Ireland and Spain carried out their threat and formally withdrew from the contest.
The withdrawal announcements by the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS and Spain's RTVE sent shockwaves through the general assembly. The move raises serious questions about the number of participating countries and the stability of Eurovision 2026, which is meant to mark the contest's 70th anniversary. Iceland said it will issue an official announcement on Wednesday.
