Civil society groups request exclusion of Israel from Eurovision 2026

On April 3, several civil society organizations in Cyprus, including BDS Cyprus and the Cyprus Peace Council, submitted a formal letter to the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC). The coalition, which also includes United for Palestine Nicosia, NEDA, Genocide FreeCyprus, Far Right Watch, Queer Collective, Accept-LGBTI Cyprus, and AFOA, is requesting that CyBC advocate for the review of Israel's public broadcaster, KAN, regarding its participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest. The groups argue that KAN should be excluded based on the precedent set in 2022 when Russia was barred from the competition. They contend that the participation of the Israeli broadcaster damages the contest's reputation amid the current conflict. The organizations have requested that CyBC formally petition the Eurovision Reference Group and the Television Committee to re-evaluate KAN's eligibility. Furthermore, the groups called upon CyBC to urge the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to clarify its stance on the apolitical nature of the contest in relation to broadcaster conduct. They emphasize the need for consistency and neutrality to protect the long-term credibility of the event.