Yuval Raphael, who represented Israel at Eurovision in 2025

Eurovision’s participating countries have decided that Israel will be returning to the contest in 2026.

Israel’s presence at the Eurovision Song Contest has long been a contentious issue, but bosses have been facing even more widespread calls to ban them from the competition for the last two years, as a result of the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

Several countries – including The Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain and Ireland – even went as far as saying they would not return to the contest next year if Israel were allowed to remain.

Ireland holds the joint record for most Eurovision wins, while Spain is one of the “Big Five” countries, which contribute the most financially to the competition (alongside the UK, France, Germany and Italy).

On Thursday, members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) met for a summit, where the issue of Israel’s involvement was debated at length.

It was subsequently confirmed that evening that the Israeli delegation would be invited back to the contest in 2026, despite the furore.

The Netherlands’ national broadcaster, Avrotros, became the........

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