The demand to exclude Israel from Eurovision because of the war in Gaza (as it did with Russia because of Ukraine) started timidly last year and this year took the form of an official political confrontation, with the EBU countries divided and governments making angry statements on the issue.

Several countries have threatened to pull out of the 2026 bid if Israel participates, including Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Iceland.

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

The final decision will be made at the EBU general assembly in December, and until then Israeli eurofans will be sitting on hot coals.

If you grew up in a non-Eurovision country (difficult), you might be wondering why all the fuss is made and why Israelis are so interested in participating in the music contest, despite the apparent resentment towards their country.

The short answer is that Israelis tend to have a weakness for Eurovision because they were the first major international competition of any kind in which Israel excelled and in which he continues to excel.

In fact, the country practically “shuts down” when Eurovision starts, as – even those who don’t generally follow pop music – tune in to watch the contest.

“Watching parties” are held all over the country, both in private homes and in restaurants.

Eurovision is an important part of Israeli life and identity.

Polinikis since 1973

Long before Israeli TV series such as Fauda, ​​Tehran and Bad Boy were shown around the world and before Gal Gadot became a Hollywood superstar, Israel first became famous artistically in 1973 – the first time he participated in Eurovision with Ilanit, who finished 4th – a huge success for the country.

In 1978 and 1979, Israel achieved two consecutive firsts – the first with Izhar Cohen and Alphabeta and the iconic “A-Ba-Ni-Bi” and the second with Gali Atari and Milk and Honey with the “Hallelujah”.

In 1981 and 1982 it finished second in the competition and in the following years – until the now historic 1998 – Israel’s entries were usually in the top 10.

In 1998, the Dana International (née Sarah Cohen) took to the Eurovision stage in London like true ‘Divas’, climbed to the top and made history as the first transgender artist to appear in the competition.

While for decades the grand prize eluded Israel, Israelis continued to be devoted Eurovision fans. Finally, the 2018h Netta Barzilai became the fourth Eurovision winner for Israel with “Toy”, an “anthem of self-empowerment”. The 2019 Eurovision Song Contest was held in Tel Aviv.

And then things started to change but the Israelis participated every year hoping for another victory.

In 2023, Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, which responded with war and an invasion of the Gaza Strip. And the drama began at the competition, with criticisms and jeers of the artists and even pro-Palestinian demonstrations outside the Arenas.

In calls for Israel to be kicked out in 2024 and 2025 because of the war, the EBU has repeatedly issued statements saying that Eurovision is not a competition between governments but between public broadcasters and that KAN, Israel’s public broadcaster, has not broken its rules.

That is why (in all probability) in 2026, Israel will participate normally in the competition.