\n<\/p>\n
Germany has said it will withdraw if Israel is not allowed to participate, and Austria said that if there is a boycott against Israel, Vienna would not host Eurovision 2026.<\/p>\n
The Eurovision Song Contest has been in the news a great deal lately because representatives of a number of countries have been asking to have Israel banned from the 2026 contest, which is set to take place in Vienna<\/a> in May.<\/p>\n If you grew up in a country that doesn\u2019t take part, you may wonder what all the fuss is about and why Israelis care so passionately about competing in it.<\/p>\n The short answer is that Israelis tend to have a soft spot for Eurovision<\/a> because it was the first major international competition of any kind that Israel excelled in, and in which it continues to excel.<\/p>\n While there have long been calls to exclude Israel and several security threats against the Israeli delegation, since the war in Gaza broke out in 2023, these calls have intensified. Several countries have threatened to drop out of the 2026 competition if Israel takes part, including Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Iceland.<\/p>\n Spain\u2019s decision is especially significant because it is one of Eurovision\u2019s \u201cbig five\u201d sponsors; the others are France, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom<\/a>.<\/p>\n