Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands all announced they were boycotting Eurovision -- the world's largest live music competition -- over the decision. Iceland said it was considering its position.
Widespread opposition to Israel's war in Gaza had led to mounting calls for Israel to be excluded from the annual contest. There were suspicions, too, about the manipulation of the voting system to favour Israel at last year's event.
But the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said after a meeting in Geneva that there had been "clear support" among members for reforms implemented to "reinforce trust and protect neutrality".
"A large majority of members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation and that the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 should proceed as planned, with the additional safeguards in place," a statement read.
Moments after the release of the EBU statement, public broadcasters in Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands -- who had all backed Israel's exclusion -- said their countries would not take part next year.
The contest pits acts from dozens of nations against one another for Europe’s musical crown. Eurovion strives to "put pop before politics," but has repeatedly been embroiled in world events. Russia was expelled in 2022 after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The war in Gaza has been its biggest challenge, with pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrating against Israel outside the last two Eurovision contests in Basel, Switzerland, in May and Malmö, Sweden, in 2024.
Opponents of Israel’s participation cite the war in Gaza, which has left more than 70,000 people dead and more than 173,000 wounded, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
In January 2024, the International Court of Justice deemed that the Israeli war in Gaza amounted to committing genocidal acts against the Palestinians. Despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the US on 10 October, the Israeli army has continued strikes in Gaza, killing and wounding hundreds. In tandem, Tel Aviv has maintained restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid to the 2.3 million population that has been facing famine conditions under an Israeli blockade and impeded the start of reconstruction efforts in the strip.
Spain, one of the “Big Five” large-market countries that contribute the most to the contest, has led the opposition to the Israeli war in Gaza on the Old Continent. Ireland, which also played a leading role in supporting Palestinian rights, has won seven times, a record it shares with Sweden. Meanwhile, Slovenia was one of the first EU members to recognize Palestinian statehood in 2024 shortly afterthe start of the Gaza war.
"The situation in Gaza, despite the ceasefire and the approval of the peace process, and the use of the contest for political goals by Israel, makes it increasingly difficult to keep Eurovision a neutral cultural event," said Alfonso Morales, the secretary general of Spain's RTVE.
Ireland's RTE said its participation would be "unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk".
AVROTROS in the Netherlands said a Dutch presence at next year's event "cannot be reconciled with the public values that are fundamental to our organisation".
A statement from Icelandic broadcaster RUV posted on its website said: "The board of RUV will discuss on Wednesday whether Iceland will participate in the competition next year, despite Israel's participation."
Iceland had previously threatened to withdraw.
Belgium, Finland and Sweden had also said they were considering a boycott over the situation in Gaza.
Aye for Israel
But on Thursday evening, Sweden's public broadcaster SVT said it backed the new rule changes, and understood that next year's host country Austria took the security concerns seriously.
"Therefore, SVT will participate in Eurovision next year," it added.
In the run-up to the meeting, held behind closed doors and under tight security in Geneva, EBU members appeared divided on the issue, with Israel winning support notably from Germany.
"Israel is part of Eurovision just as Germany is part of Europe," Germany's Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer was quoted by the newspaper Bild.
German broadcaster SWR and Austria's ORF -- host of the next competition -- hailed Thursday's decision.
Eurovision voting arrangements came under scrutiny after Israel's Yuval Raphael surged into second place after the public vote at the last edition this year.
Similar concerns about voter manipulation were raised the previous year when Israel's Eden Golan was catapulted into fifth place despite a lacklustre scoring from national juries.
Eurovision entries are scored first by professional juries, then the public by phone, text or online, which often radically alters the leader board.
Countries cannot vote for their own entry, but AVROTROS accused Israel of "proven interference" at the last event this year by lobbying the public overseas to vote for it.
A boycott by some European broadcasters could have implications for viewership and money at a time when many broadcasters are under financial pressure from government funding cuts and the advent of social media.
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