A number of anti-Israel public broadcasters forced an indirect<\/a> vote last year on Israel\u2019s participation, after pushing for years to oust the country over its war against Hamas in Gaza. After a majority of members chose to keep Kan in the contest, five countries backed out in protest: Ireland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain \u2014 which had been one of the \u201cBig Five\u201d countries that provide a greater financial contribution to the contest.<\/p>\n The Eurovision director declined to comment on whether he expected any of the boycotters to return next year, and said he was unaware of any countries planning to join them.<\/p>\n Speculation has run rampant that Slovenia could come back to the competition after its anti-Israel government was replaced<\/a> with a new pro-Israel prime minister, although there has been no confirmation from its public broadcaster.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tGet The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition \t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n Belgium \u2014 which alternates its representation yearly between its French-language and Flemish-language public broadcasters \u2014 has indicated that it is likely to pull out next year, when the Flemish VRT is in control, after the French RTBF stayed in this year\u2019s competition. Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS said it will reveal its decision for next year in August, while Omroep Max, a separate broadcaster in the Netherlands, has indicated it may participate if AVROTROS does not.<\/p>\n Broadcasters generally have until mid-October to confirm their participation in the following year\u2019s contest.<\/p>\n \t In the interview, Green denied that Spain\u2019s exit from the competition has strained the competition\u2019s finances, and rejected the idea that Canada \u2014 which announced this week it was joining the contest \u2014 was recruited to offset the loss.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s bollocks,\u201d he said of the claim, employing a vulgar British slang term, noting that Canada has been in talks to join the EBU for many years. \u201cEurovision has a really robust model and it has over the 70 years weathered what the world tried to throw at it. So we\u2019ll be around for many, many, many, many, many years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n Green also dismissed a New York Times report<\/a> earlier this year which asserted that Israel was manipulating the competition and its voting.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought it was just a sort of rehash of lots of bits and pieces,\u201d he said of the article. \u201cWe had a fully validated vote again this year.\u201d<\/p>\n \t After being cleared to compete, Israel sent Noam Bettan to this year\u2019s competition in Vienna, where he finished in<\/a> second place, as Bulgaria\u2019s Dara took the win with the upbeat dance number \u201cBangaranga.\u201d<\/p>\n Bettan, who sang the French-English-Hebrew pop number \u201cMichelle,\u201d came third in the televote \u2014 the public voting system that accounts for 50% of each country\u2019s total score \u2014 and eighth in the jury rankings, with enough combined support to propel him to a second-place finish.<\/p>\n Ahead of this year\u2019s contest, the EBU instituted a new package of reforms aimed at quelling some of the anger over Israel\u2019s participation as well as addressing claims that Jerusalem was attempting to rig the vote.<\/p>\n The voting reforms included capping votes per person at 10 instead of 20, returning juries to the semifinal rounds alongside the televote, and new rules discouraging large online campaigns, as well as barring contestants from cooperating with any such paid advertising.<\/p>\n \u201cWe saw no evidence of undue large-scale paid promotion, we saw no evidence of anything untoward in our voting at all,\u201d Green said in the interview. \u201cWe know that the availability of [the audience each] being able to vote 10 times doesn\u2019t make any difference to the outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that the Eurovision vote this year \u201cis fair and true and validated, and it\u2019s like any vote, really. If you\u2019re not that keen on the outcome, then next year vote more and vote for something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident \u2013 ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded \u2013 I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.<\/p>\n There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.<\/p>\n As a Times of Israel reporter, I\u2019m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit\u2019s. But my colleagues and I can’t do this alone. If you value work like this, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.<\/p>\n \u2014 Stav Levaton, military reporter<\/p>\n \t\t\t
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\n\t\tDirector of the Eurovision Song Contest Martin Green gives a press statement at the competition in Vienna, Austria, on May 15, 2026. (Tobias SCHWARZ \/ AFP)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26136840054172-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tDara from Bulgaria holds up the trophy after winning the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, in the early hours of May 17, 2026. (AP\/Martin Meissner)<\/p>\n
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