Eurovision organizers vote to exclude the occupying state from the competition.

The organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest announced that the members of the contest will vote in November on Israel's participation next year, following calls for a boycott due to the Gaza war.

The European Broadcasting Union stated in an email to AFP, "A message has been sent... to the directors general of all our members to inform them of a vote on participation in the Eurovision Song Contest for 2026."

It added that the vote will take place "at an extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union, which will be held online in early November."

This decision comes at a time when an increasing number of European countries have threatened to withdraw from the 2026 contest in Vienna if Israel is allowed to participate again.

In the past two editions, controversy has arisen in the contest regarding Israel's devastating war on Gaza.

Pro-Palestinian activists protested in Malmö, Sweden in 2024, and in Basel, Switzerland last May, in opposition to Israel's participation in the contest.

Spain announced last week that it would boycott the world's largest live music event, which will take place next May, if Israel participates.

Similar threats have also come from Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland, and the Netherlands.

The Dutch broadcaster "Avrotros" referred to the "severe and ongoing humanitarian suffering in Gaza" in the statement announcing the decision.

It spoke of a "serious violation of press freedom" by Israel, pointing to the "deliberate exclusion of independent international reports and the numerous injuries among journalists" in the sector.

The broadcaster's statement accused Israel of "proven interference... during the last edition of the song contest," in which it placed second, by rallying support from the public abroad to vote for it.

Other countries such as Belgium, Sweden, and Finland are also considering boycotting the contest, with a deadline until December to make their decision.

Austria, the host country for the 2026 edition, criticized the boycott calls, describing them as "stupid and pointless," while Germany accused the countries behind this campaign of politicizing a cultural event.

German Culture Minister Volker Weimer said last weekend that "excluding Israel now... turns the celebration of understanding between peoples into a court."