Eurovision host Austria hopes for compromise on Israel participation

VIENNA — Austria's public broadcaster, which hosts the next Eurovision contest, on Tuesday said it hoped for a compromise on Israel's participation in the massive TV extravaganza ahead of a vote next month.

The Eurovision Song Contest's organizers, the European Broadcasting Union, said last month that Israel's participation would be dealt with at its regular gathering in December.

A growing number of countries have threatened to boycott the 2026 edition of the world's biggest live music television event unless Israel was excluded over the war in Gaza.

ORF director general Roland Weissmann said he carried out "intense work" to convince his foreign counterparts to come to Vienna next May for the contest.

"Honestly, this is the time for diplomacy," he told reporters.

Spain said it would boycott next year's event if Israel took part. Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland and the Netherlands have made similar threats.

Other countries such as Belgium, Sweden and Finland have also been considering a boycott.

Sepp Schellhorn, a senior Austrian foreign ministry official, has slammed the boycott calls as "dumb and pointless", while Germany has also accused the countries behind the push of politicizing a cultural event.

Russia was excluded following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, while Belarus had been excluded a year earlier after the contested re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko.

Romania, Moldova, and Bulgaria have announced their intention to return in 2026. Canada has also expressed interest.

Some 166 million viewers in 37 countries watched the 2025 competition, held in Basel, Switzerland.

Filipino-Austrian JJ, whose real name is Johannes Pietsch, won the 2025 song contest with "Wasted Love," blending techno beats with operatic vocals.

The victory earned Austria the right to host the 70th edition of Eurovision.

JJ has urged that Israel be excluded from the competition.

Israel's entrant Yuval Raphael finished in second place. She survived the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war, hiding beneath bodies as Hamas gunmen attacked a music festival, killing hundreds. — Agence France-Presse