Germany’s culture minister on Saturday criticised threats by several European countries to boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if Israel takes part, accusing them of politicising a cultural event.
“Eurovision was founded to bring nations together through music. Excluding Israel today goes against this fundamental idea and turns a celebration of understanding between peoples into a tribunal,” Wolfram Weimer said in a statement.
Spain announced this week it would boycott the 2026 contest, set to be hosted by Austria, unless Israel was excluded. Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland, and the Netherlands have made similar threats, while Belgium, Sweden, and Finland are also weighing a boycott and have until December to decide.
“It’s precisely because Eurovision was born on the ruins of war that it should not become a scene of exclusion,” Weimer added, calling the campaign part of a “culture of cancellation” that undermines the event’s spirit of diversity and cohesion.
The European Broadcasting Union, which organises the contest, will decide in December whether Israel can compete in the 2026 edition. This year’s competition in Basel, Switzerland, drew 166 million viewers across 37 countries.
