Portugal Confirms Eurovision 2026 Participation as Israel Stays in the Contest

When the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) confirmed today that Israel will compete at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna, the political storm that has been brewing for months finally broke. Broadcasters from Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands immediately announced boycotts, turning what should be a celebration of music into a litmus test of where each country stands.

Against this backdrop, Portugal’s decision to remain in the contest – and to proceed with Festival da Canção 2026 as the route to Vienna – matters more than ever. It is not just a programming choice by RTP; it is a statement that cultural dialogue must not be weaponised against one country, and certainly not against Israel.

What Happened Today: Israel In, No Disqualification Vote

At the EBU’s general assembly today, member broadcasters met in Geneva to resolve the long-running “Israel question”: should Israel be allowed to participate in Eurovision 2026, amid the ongoing war in Gaza and allegations of improper promotion in previous contests?

Instead of the dramatic “in or out” vote many campaigners wanted, members took a different path:

• No exclusion vote on Israel’s eligibility was held.
• Israel was cleared to participate in Eurovision 2026.
• New regulations were adopted to limit government or third-party interference and to ensure fairer, more transparent voting – including caps on televotes per payment method and stronger monitoring for coordinated campaigns.

Some reporting notes that EBU members approved rule changes that explicitly removed the mechanism for a political disqualification vote, effectively closing the door on attempts to expel Israel through a one-off ballot.

From a pro-Israel perspective, this matters. The EBU is saying, in practice, that Eurovision should not become a stage where one country is singled out for punishment – especially a country that has been part of the contest for decades, has won multiple times, and is a full, dues-paying member of the union.

Boycotts Begin – But Portugal Stays

The price of that principle was immediate. Within hours of the decision:

• Spain and the Netherlands confirmed they will withdraw from Eurovision 2026.
• Ireland’s RTÉ announced it will neither compete nor broadcast the show.

These broadcasters argue that performing alongside Israel is incompatible with their values while the Gaza war continues.

Portugal, however, is on a different path.

Long before today’s meeting, RTP had already:

• Confirmed participation in Eurovision 2026, with Vienna as the destination.
• Reaffirmed that it will select its entry through Festival da Canção 2026, with the Portuguese artist and song to be chosen on 7 March 2026.
• Publicly denied rumours of a Portuguese boycott tied to Israel’s participation, after Spanish reports suggested Lisbon might follow Madrid’s line.

In other words: Portugal had already decided it would not allow the debate around Israel to push it out of Eurovision. Today’s EBU ruling simply confirms the context in which that Portuguese decision will play out: a Eurovision that welcomes Israel and stands firm against exclusion campaigns.

The Domestic Debate in Portugal – and Why RTP Is Right

None of this means the question has been easy inside Portugal.

• 2017 Eurovision winner Salvador Sobral publicly questioned why Portugal was not considering a boycott, after Spain signalled it might withdraw if Israel remained.Marquise, a band competing in Festival da Canção 2026, issued a statement saying they would refuse to represent Portugal at Eurovision if Israel participates, using a new rule that allows them to opt out even if they win.These are legitimate positions in a free society. Artists are entitled to conscience. But it is just as legitimate – and, from a pro-Israel viewpoint, far more constructive – for RTP and Portugal to say:

We will not abandon an Israeli broadcaster and its artists, nor will we turn a cultural event into a tool of collective punishment.

By staying in Eurovision 2026, Portugal does three important things:

1. Rejects the singling-out of Israel
   The Gaza war is tragic and deeply polarising. But there is no credible standard by which Israel alone should be ostracised from Eurovision while many other countries facing serious conflicts or human-rights accusations continue to participate. When boycotts are applied selectively, they start looking less like principled stands and more like political pressure campaigns aimed at one specific state – in this case, the world’s only Jewish one.
2. Defends Eurovision’s core idea: “United by Music”
   Austria’s leadership has already argued that boycotts over Israel risk deepening rifts without improving the situation on the ground and that Eurovision must remain a space of dialogue, not division.
   Portugal’s presence in Vienna reinforces that idea: you can strongly disagree about Middle East politics and still share a stage, a scoreboard and three minutes of song.
3. Sends a message against cultural antisemitism
   Germany’s culture minister has warned that a Eurovision “without Israel” would set a dangerous precedent of excluding artists on the basis of nationality – and that this cannot be separated from the broader fight against antisemitism in Europe.
   By choosing participation, Portugal stands closer to that line of thinking than to the growing movement that wants to ban or boycott Israeli artists as a class.

A Fairer Contest With Israel, Not Without It

Crucially, the EBU did not ignore concerns about fairness. The new rules are directly aimed at specific allegations made about Israel’s previous campaigns – such as excessive government-funded promotion or aggressive online advertising – by tightening controls on voting and promotion across all participating countries.

From a pro-Israel standpoint, this is exactly the right balance:

• If there are concerns about behaviour, fix the rules.
• Do not use those concerns as an excuse to expel a country outright.

Israel, like every other broadcaster, will have to play by stricter, more transparent rules in 2026. That is good for everyone – and it means that if Israel does well in Vienna, its success will be harder to dismiss as anything other than genuine public and jury support.

Why This Matters for Israel – and for Portugal

For Israel, Eurovision is more than a song contest. It is one of the few continental stages where Israelis are visible, welcomed and judged on artistry rather than geopolitics. It is where Netta’s “Toy” and Dana International’s “Diva” became pan-European phenomena; where Israelis see themselves as part of a wider cultural community, not isolated on the edge of a conflict map.

Every country that chooses to stay in Eurovision 2026 despite pressure to boycott is, in effect, saying to Israeli artists and fans:

You still belong here. Your music is welcome. Your culture is not cancelled.

Portugal’s choice to participate, and to continue preparing Festival da Canção with 660 submitted songs and strong interest from its music scene, reinforces that message.

And Portugal gains something too. By refusing to walk away, it positions itself as:

• A country that resists easy moral grandstanding.
• A broadcaster that believes dialogue > isolation.
• A Eurovision player that trusts that its artists and viewers can make up their own minds, without being told which flags are morally acceptable on a scoreboard.

Looking Ahead to Vienna 2026

Eurovision 2026 in Vienna is already one of the most politically charged contests in the show’s 70-year history. But if Eurovision is ever going to live up to its slogan, “United by Music”, it will do so with Israel on stage, not by pushing Israeli artists out.

Portugal has chosen the harder, braver road: staying in, singing anyway, and sharing a stage with Israel rather than abandoning it. In a year of boycotts, that is a stand for cultural fairness – and, unmistakably, a stand with Israel.