Eurovision 2026 Advances After Israel Sanction, Broadcasters Boycott Final

Overview

• The first semi-final in Vienna on Tuesday sent Greece, Finland, Belgium, Sweden, Moldova, Serbia, Croatia, Lithuania, Poland and Israel to Saturday’s Grand Final, with Israel’s set drawing both applause and boos.
• Public broadcasters in Spain, Ireland and Slovenia confirmed they will not air the final in protest over Israel’s participation, while Iceland and the Netherlands withdrew their entries but kept the shows on air.
• The European Broadcasting Union said it ordered Israel’s team to remove videos that urged people to cast the maximum number of votes and issued a warning, then reduced the per-person cap from 20 to 10 for 2026.
• Coverage citing the New York Times reports large-scale promotion for Israeli entries, including alleged government involvement, and says EBU lawyers judged exclusion legally possible in 2025 before members voted to keep Israel in.
• Pro‑Palestinian protests in Vienna continued this week, including activists placing coffins in the city center, as more than a thousand artists and groups called for a boycott.