Recently, the message came that in November there will be an important vote.
EBU Member State will vote on whether Israel gets Delta in the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in 2026.
Until now, NRK has said that they do not want to boycott the competition if Israel is allowed to participate. Other countries, such as Spain and the Netherlands, on the other hand, notify boycott.
Broadcasting Manager Vibeke Fürst Haugen says the following to TV 2:
– NRK’s most important task is to do news dissemination. Here we are subject to a special responsibility. It would be shaken by the credibility of our news coverage if NRK went to a boycott or exclusion of Israel on a political basis. NRK will report independently and impartial from the war in Gaza, and therefore does not pursue an independent foreign policy.
NRK chief: Vibeke Fürst Haugen has been a broadcaster since 2022, when she took over after Thor Gjermund Eriksen. Photo: Martin Berg Isaksen / TV 2
NRK has argued that there would be a political act on the boycott, which is problematic since those as a news provider should be neutral.
This also argued the broadcaster for the best broadcast time during the last episode of the “Debate”.
The argument that ESC is to be kept unpolitical causes former MGP participants Kim Wigaard, Åge Sten-Nilsen and “Skrellx” to react.
– Political play
Table of Contents
Åge Sten-Nilsen (55), who has won MGP with the band Wigwam and participated in the Eurovision, says the Israel discussion is complicated, since the competition should not be political.
Previous winner: Wigwam and Åge Sten-Nilsen still have a big follow-up worldwide after participating in ESC. Photo: Jonathan Gaathaug / TV 2
Still, he emphasizes that there has always been politics in the competition.
– I think there would have been less noise around Eurovision if Israel had not participated. The policy is already part of the competition when choosing to exclude Russia, but still have Israel.
He also points out that the 2025 version of the competition, where Israel won the people voices, proves that there is a political will in the competition.
– It was also seen during the previous Eurovision all the campaigns Israel drove to collect more votes. It will be a political game. Many struggle to see advertising for a country that literally dips down one -year -olds, women and all who creep and walk.
The broadcaster supports the concern for the influence of voting results.
– Another concern applies to vulnerabilities at the ballot system. It is known that Israel has actively tried to influence voting results through campaigns and actions. It challenges the credibility of the competition itself. NRK believes EBU has to change the ballot system so that it can be more difficult to manipulate.
On overtime
In 2022 and 2023, Kim Wigaard (37) participated in MGP. Ever since then, he has had strong opinions on Israel’s participation in the competition.
Won the Norwegian people: Kim Wigaard may not have won MGP, but he has won other NRK competitions. In 2025 he won “Stjernekamp” and before that he won “mascorama”. Photo: Ida Cecilie Madsen
– I think Israel should have been banned from ESC since 2023. There is no doubt, considering the Gaza genocide, he says, and continues:
-Russia was banned in 2022 as a result of the Ukraine war, and it is completely logical that genocide and warfare do not belong in an ESC celebration, who will just contribute to the opposite: celebrate, honor and gather European music culture.
He thinks NRK has been too passive so far, and believes that NRK should vote for Israel’s participation during the upcoming vote.
– I think the broadcaster should take more responsibility and make a progress in this process, says Wigaard firmly.
NRK’s broadcaster, Vibeke Fürst Haugen, does not respond specifically to Wigaard’s statements, but says:
– NRK is a member of the European Broadcasting Union EBU, which organizes the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC). NRK works actively for the EBU to take our and others’ concerns seriously. We believe in using the democratic instruments in what is a rule -driven member organization.
She says that some of what NRK’s concerns are about is ESC’s confidence in the people.
– It is stated in the rules for Eurovision that no participants should help bring the Eurovision Song Contest into diseases or undermine the trust of the audience. NRK wants us in the European Broadcasting Union EBU to decide whether the Israeli broadcaster’s participation in the Eurovision harms the reputation of the competition.
Suggests a referendum
Kai Thomas Ryen Larsen (39), better known as “Skrellx”, joined MGP in 2023. He believes that NRK must take a clear stand.
– I hope all countries, including NRK and Norway, now put pressure on EBU and say that we do not participate if Israel participates. Then EBU has no choice when they have this meeting in December – they will have to exclude Israel!
He says that if this happens, he-and the rest of the ESC fans-will be able to look at the competition with good conscience again.
– As long as enough countries are behind this, there is actually no real danger that everyone will have to retire and boycott.
Larsen misses more power from the national broadcaster.
– I don’t understand how this can be so difficult for NRK to stand behind! It is right to do, and it is very easy to do when a genocide is going on in Gaza, he says, and continues:
– NRK is funded by us Norwegians, so if they themselves do not want to make this decision – let’s take a vote!
Artist: “Skrellx” runs both with drag and music. Photo: Torstein Wold / TV 2
Finally, Larsen only says:
– PS: Look at Jimmy Kimmel – pressure and boycott helps.
NRK in the thinking box
TV 2 has tried for several days to get the Israeli broadcaster to answer questions about the upcoming vote, boycott, and their further place in the competition.
These questions remain unanswered.
Can nevertheless reveal to TV 2 that they are working fully to join the ESC 2026, and are doing auditions at the time of writing.
Can also write to TV 2 that they believe an exclusion of Israel would make the competition more politically than it should be.
NRK does not answer questions whether they have taken a final answer when it comes to a possible boycott, or whether the channel opens for them to change their mind.
Haugen nevertheless says that NRK is working to ensure that the security situation is safe for both participants and NRK employees under ESC, and specifies:
– EBU has accelerated the work on the case. We will spend the time until the extraordinary general meeting to come up with a decision.
Fans: Many people want boycott of Israel in ESC, but also many who want them to continue. Here are photos of fans from the final of ESC in 2025. Photo: Maya Levin / AP
Compares to Ukraina
Sten-Nilsen supports the argument that the competition is already political, and draws parallels to how ESC has also previously been a political arena for both artists and fans.
When he participated in 2005 himself, the competition was held in Ukraine. He even got to know the political pressure on his body.
– It was in the middle of the orange revolution. Many in Ukraine wanted me to raise the orange flag, in support of the revolution that was anti -Russian.
Also at that time, 20 years ago, NRK wanted to be politically neutral.
– I asked NRK, and they thought I had to use the gray flag. But I couldn’t leave – at the last second before I went on stage I switched to the orange flag. I might not. Sorry, NRK. But something in me said that the fight there, I wanted to support.
NRK has been given the opportunity to comment on Sten-Nilsen’s play on NRK’s action in 2005, as well as all other plays that appear in this article.
