Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands will boycott Eurovision 2026 after Israel was cleared to compete in Vienna. The four public broadcasters say they cannot justify taking part due to the war in Gaza and after their calls for a specific vote on Israel’s participation were rejected.
The decision follows a general assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which runs Eurovision. At that meeting, members did not take a specific vote on whether Israel should be allowed to compete, despite calls from several broadcasters for such a ballot. Instead, the only vote held was on a package of new rules aimed at tightening the voting system and limiting efforts by governments or third parties to heavily promote certain entries to influence the result.
In response, Ireland’s RTÉ said it would not participate or air the show, stating that “Ireland’s participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk”.
“RTE remains deeply concerned by the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza during the conflict and the continued denial of access to international journalists to the territory,” the statement continued.
Spain’s RTVE also confirmed it would not broadcast the contest or semi‑finals, saying the decision‑making process was “insufficient” and had created “distrust”, and noting that its request for a specific vote on Israel, which was backed by seven other countries, was denied. Their statement said that this “confirms the political pressure surrounding it”, per The Guardian.
Spain’s culture minister Ernest Urtasun backed RTVE’s stance, saying: “You can’t whitewash Israel given the genocide in Gaza. Culture should be on the side of peace and justice. I’m proud of an RTVE that puts human rights before any economic interest.”
Dutch broadcaster Avrotros said that “after weighing all perspectives… under the current circumstances, participation cannot be reconciled with the public values that are fundamental to our organisation”, while Slovenia’s RTVSLO said taking part “would conflict with its values of peace, equality and respect”.
Some other broadcasters have opted to stay in. The BBC indicated it would broadcast Eurovision 2026, saying: “We support the collective decision made by members of the EBU. This is about enforcing the rules of the EBU and being inclusive.”
Germany’s SWR also confirmed it would participate, arguing the contest is “a competition organised by EBU broadcasters, not by governments” and that Israeli broadcaster Kan “meets all the requirements associated with participation” for 2026. Broadcasters from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland supported the rule changes and said they would continue to back the contest, while calling for ongoing talks about safeguarding its credibility.
Back home, SBS has decided to back the song contest despite many calls from the community to boycott broadcasting, including from the Greens.
“Eurovision was created to bring people together through music, a purpose that continues to guide the contest and has shaped SBS’s broadcast for more than 40 years,” the broadcaster said in a statement, per the Sydney Morning Herald.
“Our position remains that, as a public broadcaster, making a decision to be involved based on the inclusion or exclusion of any country would undermine SBS’s editorial independence and impartiality.”
Israel’s president Isaac Herzog welcomed the outcome, saying Israel “deserves to be represented on every stage around the world”.
He wrote: “I am pleased that Israel will once again participate in the Eurovision Song Contest, and I hope that the competition will remain one that champions culture, music, friendship between nations, and cross-border cultural understanding.”
The boycott comes as Eurovision prepares for its 70th edition in Vienna after Austrian singer JJ’s win, with the withdrawals from long‑time heavyweights like Spain and Ireland likely to reshape both the line‑up and how the 2026 contest is received.
Lead image: AP / Getty
The post Multiple Countries Boycott Eurovision 2026 After Israel Is Cleared To Compete appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
