Could Eurovision 2026 go on without Israel?
According to The Guardian, Austria's 24-year-old Eurovision winner, Johannes Pietsch, better known by his stage name JJ, has ignited a political firestorm after calling for Israel to be excluded from next year's song contest in Vienna.
"It is very disappointing to see that Israel continues to participate in the contest," JJ told Spanish outlet El País in a post-victory interview. "I would like next year's Eurovision to take place in Vienna without Israel."
The singer's comments come amid mounting global scrutiny over Israel's brutal aggression against Gaza. Despite widespread protests and activist pressure during this year's contest in Switzerland, Israel competed with Yuval Raphael's entry New Day Will Rise, which placed second after a surge in public voting.
JJ questioned the transparency of that vote, noting the Israeli artist's sudden leap in points. "This year, everything happened in a very strange way," he said. He also demanded "greater transparency" in the Eurovision voting process and questioned whether the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) was applying its rules consistently.
"The ball is in the court of the organisers," JJ acknowledged. "We, the artists, can only express our views on the subject."
His remarks triggered a swift response from Austria's national broadcaster ORF, which moved to distance itself from the controversy, emphasising that JJ's views "reflected a personal opinion." Through his label Warner, the singer later added he was "sorry if his comments had been misinterpreted."
Still, JJ's stance has struck a chord beyond Austria. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, one of Europe's most vocal critics of Israeli policy, also called for Israel's exclusion from Eurovision, citing cultural "double standards." In 2022, Russia was banned from Eurovision following its war with Ukraine.
"What we cannot allow are double standards in culture," Sánchez said on Monday, referencing Russia's continued ban from the contest.
As calls grow for the EBU to reassess its position, pressure is mounting to ensure that Eurovision, a contest that claims to celebrate unity and peace, does not become, as critics fear, a stage for selective solidarity.
Whether the EBU will act on JJ's plea remains to be seen. As Israel's military aggression in Gaza continues unabated, over 53,000 Palestinians have been killed and 122,382 injured to date, according to Al Jazeera. In response to this worsening humanitarian crisis, artists and audiences alike are asking difficult questions about complicity, cultural diplomacy, and what Eurovision truly stands for.
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