ISTANBUL

Germany could withdraw from next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is excluded, according to its chancellor, Friedrich Merz.

“I would support this. I think it’s a scandal that this is even being discussed. Israel has a place there,” Merz said Sunday on boycotting the event if Israel is excluded.

Speaking to public broadcaster ARD, Merz said Germany’s “solidarity with Israel has never been in question.”

“My personal feelings toward Israel are entirely positive. It’s a wonderful country. However, in my opinion, some of the military actions in the Gaza war went too far,” he added.

Merz, a staunch ally of Israel, has repeatedly argued that Germany bears historical responsibility for Israel due to its Nazi past and the Holocaust.

While the conservative leader recently criticized Israel's Gaza military campaign and called for increased humanitarian aid, he rejected opposition demands for an arms embargo and stood against suspending the EU-Israel trade agreement.

Last month, the Merz government became diplomatically isolated when several close allies – France, the UK, Belgium, Portugal, and Malta – joined more than 140 other countries in recognizing Palestinian statehood, while Berlin continued to oppose such recognition.

An online vote in November, ahead of December's deadline for countries to confirm Eurovision participation, will allow all competing states to decide whether to exclude Israel from the 2026 contest.

Germany is among Eurovision’s top financial contributors, alongside France, Italy, Spain, and the UK.

France has confirmed its participation in next year’s contest, while Spain became the first of these countries to announce it would withdraw if Israel is not banned from Eurovision 2026.

Ireland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands have already stated clearly that they will not take part in the competition if Israel is accepted, while Iceland, Belgium and Poland have signaled they may take similar steps.

Next year's contest is set for next May in Vienna, Austria.