The German Chancellor condemned the discussion about excluding Israel from the European song contest. He believes that Germany should not participate in Eurovision without an ally.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the exclusion of Israel from the Eurovision contest would be a scandal. "In this case, Germany should refuse to participate. I would support that. I consider it a scandal that such a thing is even being discussed. Israel is part of this community," he said on the talk show Caren Miosga on ARD channel on Sunday, October 5.
Currently, there are intense debates among participating countries and broadcasters airing the contest. Broadcasters from Switzerland and the host country Austria supported Israel's participation, while broadcasters from Spain, Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands threatened to boycott Eurovision 2026 in Vienna due to Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip.
