ESC winner JJ will exclude Israel in 2026 from Contest!

ESC winner JJ will exclude Israel in 2026 from Contest!

With his controversial demand, the new ESC star Johannes Pietsch, better known as JJ, re-sparked the discussion about Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC). In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El País, JJ expressed his disappointment on May 22, 2025 that Israel can continue to participate in the ESC while he was demanding the country's exclusion for the competition in 2026 in Vienna. The last year's winner, who won the ESC 2025 in Basel with his song "Wasted Love", sees the participation of Israel as intolerable.

JJ compares the Israeli offensive in Gaza with the war of aggressiveness in Russia against Ukraine and accusation that both countries are aggressors. These statements come in the middle of a persistent war against Hamas, which after a devastating massacre cost over 50,000 people in October 2023. The situation has caused considerable criticism not only in public, but also among former ESC participants. Over 70 artists have spoken out against the participation of Israel, including this year's winner JJ and his predecessor Nemo.

protests and reactions to the ESC controversy

The controversy around Israel's participation in the ESC are not new. As early as 2024, there were initial demands for Israel's exclusion, which were loud due to the conflict in Gaza. These demands are reminiscent of the decision of the European Radio Union (EBU) to exclude Russia from participating in the ESC in 2022. In the meantime, the event experienced a decline in the number of spectators - in the United Kingdom by about 25 percent in 2024.

There were also a number of protests at this year's event. The Israeli representative Yuval Raphael, who is considered the survivor of a Hamas attack, had to face transparent pro-Palestine demonstrations during the opening ceremony. Raphael, who achieved second place in the ESC 2025 with her song "New Day Will Rise", previously expressed concerns due to possible Buh calls during her appearance.

activities and political dimensions

The EBU has introduced the continued controversial changes in its code of conduct for 2025. So far, the organization has also had to take symptoms into account about the behavior of the Israeli delegation during the competition. These developments create a sensitive environment in which the concept of the ESC is questioned as a platform for diversity and inclusion.

In the middle of these bitter debates, the question remains whether and how the ESC can represent cultural diversity as a universal event, while at the same time the challenges of the current social and political situation are reflected.