Israel has been cleared to compete at next year's Eurovision Song Contest after European Broadcasting Union members decided not to call a vote on its participation.
Several countries had called for Israel to be excluded because of the war in Gaza.
Some had also accused Israel of unfair voting practices.
The news has prompted Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia to boycott the event.
Collectively, these nations have been Eurovision winners 14 times.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said members backed new rules intended to discourage governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to sway voters after allegations that Israel unfairly boosted its entrant this year.
"This vote means that all EBU Members who wish to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 and agree to comply with the new rules are eligible to take part," the EBU said.
Moments after 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 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 said a Dutch presence at next year's event "cannot be reconciled with the public values that are fundamental to our organisation".
Natalija Gorscak, head of Slovenia's national broadcaster RTV Slovenija, confirmed her country had also withdrawn.
"We will not participate in the ESC if Israel is there. On behalf of the 20,000 children who died in Gaza," she said.
Iceland has previously threatened to withdraw, while others, including Belgium, Finland and Sweden, have also said they were considering a boycott over the situation in Gaza.
A spokesperson for public broadcaster SBS, which airs Eurovision in Australia, confirmed it would continue its coverage of the event in 2026, while recognising the "deeply held views and concerns about the war in the Middle East".
"Eurovision was created to bring people and cultures together through music, a purpose that continues to guide the contest and has shaped SBS's broadcast for more than 40 years," they said.
"Our position remains that, as a public broadcaster, making a decision to be involved based on the inclusion or exclusion of any country would undermine SBS's editorial independence and impartiality."
The broadcaster, who selects who will represent the nation in the competition during a jury preview show, has confirmed Australia will compete in the 2026 event.
Voting scrutiny
Israel's President Isaac Herzog welcomed the EBU decision and said his country "deserves to be represented on every stage around the world".
"I am pleased that Israel will once again participate in the Eurovision Song Contest, and I hope that the competition will remain one that champions culture, music, friendship between nations, and cross-border cultural understanding," he said.
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.
While Eurovision is supposed to be above politics, Chancellor Friedrich Merz — a strong Israel supporter — suggested in October that he would back Germany's withdrawal if Israel were excluded.
Germany's Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer told the Bild newspaper he welcomed the decision.
"Israel belongs to the Eurovision Song Contest like Germany belongs to Europe," he told the paper.
Austrians, who host next year's Eurovision Song Contest, have welcomed Israel's participation in the competition, saying politics and entertainment should not be mixed.
"I distinguish between the government and the population," resident Bernhard Kleemann said.
"Why should the population, or a part of the population, not participate?"
Eurovision voting arrangements came under scrutiny after Israel's Yuval Raphael — a survivor of Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack — 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 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 leaderboard.
Countries cannot vote for their own entry, but AVROTROS accused Israel of "proven interference" at this year's event by lobbying the public overseas to vote for it.
Reuters/AFP
