Baku: Reports claiming Azerbaijan’s withdrawal from the Eurovision Song Contest if Israel participates are false, according to APA reports. Some Turkish media outlets and social media accounts had circulated these claims, falsely attributing them to the Azerbaijani state.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, broadcasters from six countries-Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland, Ireland, and Belgium-issued an official statement during an event in Dubrovnik on 15-16 September. They declared that they would withdraw from the contest if Israel is allowed to participate. However, no discussions or statements from other countries, including Azerbaijan, were made regarding this proposal.

The issue of Israel’s participation is set to be voted on by member countries at the EBU General Assembly, scheduled for 2-4 December in Geneva. The decision will be determined by EBU members rather than the contest’s leadership. In light of this, organizers have extended the deadline for withdrawal without financial penalty until 10 December.

It is important to note that the false report originated from Trkiye’s Akit TV and the social media channel ‘Baho,’ which wrongly claimed Azerbaijan stated, ‘If Israel is not in Eurovision 2026, we won’t be either.’