KAN, the public service broadcaster of Israel, has confirmed that it intends to participate at the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in Austria.
Potential roadblocks to participation
KAN has confirmed that it intends to send a participant to succeed Yuval Raphael for the 2026 contest. At present no further plans have been discussed on how it intends to find its entry. In recent years Israel has used the HaKokhav HaBa show as the national final to decide its entrant.
The four time Eurovision winning country’s place in Austria is not secure however, with discussions between broadcasters and the EBU surrounding Israeli inclusion in Eurovision still ongoing.
Israel’s Eurovision Journey
Israel has a long and wealthy history in the Eurovision Song Contest, making their debut in 1973 with Ilanit and “Ey Sham”. Their first entry scored 97 points, placing 4th. Israel has since gone on to win the Contest on four separate occasions – in 1978, 1979, 1998 and 2018.
Yuval Raphael represented Israel in Basel during the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with the song “New Day Will Rise”. Performing at the second semi-final, Israel qualified for the final in 1st place. In the final itself, Yuval finished in 2nd place with a total of 357 points – 60 points from the jury and 297 from the televote.
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Source: KAN
Image credit: Corinne Cumming/EBU
Thomas James