Four countries to boycott Eurovision 2026 over Israel’s inclusion

Following the decision to allow Israel to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain have declared they will not participate in the competition next year.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which oversees the competition, announced on Thursday that there would not be a vote on whether to exclude Israel, despite requests from some nations, in response.

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Israelis are criticized by Israel’s participation in the most recent competition for the benefit of its competitors because of its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza, which has so far killed at least 70, 125 people, and because of allegations that it improperly intervened in it for the benefit of its competitors.

The EBU stated on Thursday that its members had shown “clear support for reforms to strengthen trust and protect] the] neutrality of the contest in a statement that authorized Israel to participate.

The changes, which include the reintroduced of a professional jury during the semifinals, aim to stop governments and third parties from overpropagandaing songs to sway voters.

The Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS responded to Israel’s inclusion by saying that “under the current circumstances, participation cannot be reconciled with the public values that are fundamental to our organization.”

It also criticized Israel for its “serious violation of press freedom” during the Gaza War and accused it of “proven interference” in the contest last year.

Ireland’s broadcaster RTE cited “the horrifying loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis” as the cause of its boycott.

Slovenia’s national broadcaster will not comment on its decision “in the name of the 20, 000 children who died in Gaza.”

The event in Vienna, which will be the contest’s 70th edition, will also be held by Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE, which also announced that it would not participate.

Despite the ceasefire, the peace process’s approval, and Israel’s use of the contest for political goals, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain Eurovision as a neutral cultural event, according to its secretary-general, Alfonso Morales.

Not all nations adopted the same position. Germany stated that it would not participate if Israel were barred in the lead-up to the EBU’s decision.

German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer declared that “Israel belongs in the Eurovision Song Contest.”