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Denmark’s public broadcaster DR has confirmed it will not vote to exclude Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest, even as pressure mounts on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to take unprecedented action. The move places DR at odds with a growing number of peers threatening boycott unless Israel is barred from competing in 2026.
The EBU has called an extraordinary general assembly for November, where member broadcasters will vote on whether Israeli broadcaster KAN should be removed. That decision comes after months of mounting criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and concern over the role of state-sponsored campaigning in last year’s contest. Several broadcasters, including those in Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia and Iceland, have already said they will withdraw if Israel is allowed to remain.
DR, however, insists that Eurovision must stand above politics. Gustav Lützhøft, senior editor for culture and music, said the corporation supports Eurovision “as a cultural European event” and does not want to see the competition reduced to a cycle of expulsions. At the same time, DR has hinted that its continued participation depends on “conditions” being met by the EBU, though it has not specified what those might be. Observers suggest the broadcaster is seeking greater assurances around governance, transparency and the contest’s independence from political interference.
Eurovision has long claimed to be a non-political celebration of music, but the Israel debate has pushed that assertion to its limits. When Russia was excluded in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine, the decision was broadly accepted as necessary, even if it underscored the contest’s vulnerability to global events. Now the EBU faces a dilemma that has split its membership more deeply.
Other Nordic broadcasters have also faced internal pressure. Norway’s NRK has admitted to divisions within its ranks but says it will not carry out a cultural boycott. Sweden’s SVT has defended its neutrality, describing participation as a public service obligation.
The November vote requires an absolute majority, and whatever the outcome, the fallout is likely to be significant. Excluding Israel would establish a precedent that Eurovision is willing to act as a form of cultural sanction, reshaping the contest’s role on the international stage. Allowing Israel to remain risks fuelling accusations of hypocrisy and may prompt withdrawals that shrink the line-up in 2026.
For DR, the calculation appears to be that Eurovision’s strength lies in its ability to unite rather than divide. Yet that stance is a delicate one, open to accusations of moral equivocation from those who believe the contest should take a firmer stand. As fans look ahead to May, the question is no longer just which country will host the biggest stage show in music. It is whether Eurovision can emerge from this political storm without losing the sense of togetherness that has sustained it for nearly 70 years.
Source: DR News
