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News about Azerbaijan’s alleged withdrawal from Eurovision over Israel is fake

21 September 2025 18:50 (UTC +04:00)

Some Turkish media outlets and social media accounts have circulated reports claiming, on behalf of the Azerbaijani state, that “If Israel is not in Eurovision 2026, we won’t be either.” These reports are false, APA reports.

During the event held in Dubrovnik on 15–16 September, broadcasters from six countries—Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland, Ireland, and Belgium—issued an official statement declaring that if Israel is allowed to participate in the contest, they will withdraw.

No discussion took place on this issue within the event, and no statement or comment was made by other countries or by Azerbaijan regarding the mentioned proposal.

The issue of Israel’s participation will be put to a vote of member countries at the EBU General Assembly scheduled for 2–4 December in Geneva.

Thus, the decision will be made not by the contest’s leadership but by EBU members.

For this reason, organizers have extended the deadline for withdrawal without financial penalty until 10 December.

It should be noted that Türkiye’s Akit TV and one of the country’s largest social media channels, “Baho,” shared the false report that Azerbaijan had stated “If Israel is not in Eurovision 2026, we won’t be either.”