Eurovision organisers push back Israel decision over Gaza ceasefire

Geneva: The Eurovision Song Contest s organisers said on Monday they had put back taking a decision on Israel s participation in next year s event, gi...

Geneva: The Eurovision Song Contest's organisers said on Monday they had put back taking a decision on Israel's participation in next year's event, given the Gaza ceasefire.

The European Broadcasting Union's members were due to hold a vote next month, after a growing number of countries threatened to boycott the 2026 TV extravaganza in Vienna unless Israel was excluded over the war in Gaza.

The annual Eurovision Song Contest is world's biggest live music television event. Some 166 million viewers in 37 countries watching the 2025 competition, held in Basel, Switzerland.

The EBU, the world's biggest public service media alliance, said Monday that instead of the special meeting in November announced last month, Israel's participation would be dealt with at its regular gathering in December.

"In the light of recent developments in the Middle East, the EBU's executive board (meeting on October 13) agreed there was a clear need to organise an open and in-person discussion among its members on the issue of participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026," the EBU said in a statement received by AFP.