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EBU Confirms Israel for Eurovision 2026 as It Tightens Voting Rules

The broadcaster group unveiled voting and jury reforms to shore up neutrality following complaints over the 2025 vote.

Overview

  • The EBU will cut the maximum televotes per viewer from 20 to 10 and will encourage fans to spread votes across entries.
  • Semifinals restore a 50/50 split between juries and the public, with national juries expanding from five to seven members and including at least two jurors aged 18 to 25.
  • The EBU will work with voting partner Once to expand security and detect coordinated or fraudulent patterns, while maintaining that the Basel 2025 results were valid.
  • Israel remains confirmed for the 2026 contest, with a special vote to reconsider only if members at the December 4–5 assembly judge the new safeguards insufficient.
  • Public broadcasters in Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland have threatened not to take part if Israel competes, and the EBU is preparing participation contingencies.