Italian singer Levante refuses Eurovision participation over ‘Israel’ inclusion
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- Italian singer Levante announced she will refuse to represent Italy at Eurovision 2026 even if she wins the Sanremo Festival with her entry "Sei Tu," citing moral opposition to ‘Israel's’ participation amid the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
- Following the EBU's decision to allow Israel to compete under stricter voting rules, five countries—Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Slovenia, and Iceland—have withdrawn from the Vienna-hosted contest in protest, reducing the total participants to 35.
Italian singer Levante publicly declared that she will refuse to represent Italy at the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if she wins the Sanremo Festival, citing ‘Israel's’ participation.
Competing with her entry "Sei Tu" in Sanremo 2026, Levante becomes the first participant in the Italian selection process to explicitly rule out Eurovision involvement.
Levante emphasized in recent interviews her opposition to ‘Israel's’ presence in the event.
She stated that accepting the role would conflict with her principles, given the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ‘Israel’s’ genocide.
The broader controversy stems from the European Broadcasting Union's (EBU) decision in December 2025 to allow ‘Israel’ to compete in Eurovision 2026, despite calls for exclusion.
The EBU, which organizes the contest, opted not to hold a vote on ‘Israel's’ participation but introduced stricter voting rules to prevent government interference, following accusations of vote manipulation by ‘Israel’ in the previous year.
In response to the EBU's ruling, several countries withdrew from the 2026 contest.
Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Slovenia, and Iceland announced their boycotts, citing the ongoing assault on Gaza and the resulting humanitarian issues as reasons for non-participation.
These withdrawals reduce the number of participating nations to 35, with the event scheduled for May 12, 14, and 16 in Vienna, Austria.
Italian public broadcaster RAI has reacted to the situation by proposing that a Palestinian artist perform as a guest in a non-competitive capacity at Eurovision 2026.
The host broadcaster, Austrian ORF, has also indicated flexibility, stating it will not prohibit Palestinian flags or audience expressions during the event, marking a departure from previous policies.
