Israel cleared for Eurovision, prompts multiple boycotts from Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia
Israel’s decision to allow it to participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest prompted Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia to follow through on their threats to withdraw from the contest over the Gaza war.
The European Broadcasting Union, the contest’s organizer, decided not to vote on Israel’s participation after a meeting in Geneva and said instead it had issued rules aimed at deterring governments from influencing the contest.
Immediately after this announcement, Dutch, Spanish and Irish broadcasters announced that they would withdraw from the competition, which meant that singers from their own countries could not compete in the competition attended by millions of viewers worldwide.
Irish broadcaster RTE said it felt Ireland’s involvement was “unreasonable, given the appalling loss of life in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis that continues to put the lives of many civilians there at risk.”
Natalija Gorscak, head of Slovenia’s national broadcaster RTV Slovenija, told Reuters that her country had also withdrawn.
Broadcasters threatened to boycott the event, highlighting the death toll in Gaza and accusing Israel of violating rules intended to preserve the contest’s neutrality.
The EBU said its members backed new rules aimed at preventing governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to influence voters, following allegations that Israel unfairly subsidized the entry this year.
“This vote means that all EBU Members who wish to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 and who agree to abide by the new rules are eligible to take part in the competition,” the EBU said.
The issue has sharply divided participants in the contest, which has a history of national rivalries, international issues and political votes.
The Dutch broadcaster said it had concluded that “participation under current circumstances cannot be reconciled with the public values that are fundamental to our organisation”.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog thanked his country’s supporters.
“I am pleased that Israel will once again participate in the Eurovision Song Contest and hope that it will remain a contest that champions culture, music, international friendship and cross-border cultural understanding,” he said.
Germany, one of the biggest supporters of Eurovision, had announced that it would not participate in the competition if Israel was prevented.
Before the decision, Israeli public broadcaster KAN had announced that it was preparing for next year’s competition.
Israel’s 2025 participant Yuval Raphael was at the Nova music festival, which was one of the targets of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the Gaza war.
According to Israeli figures, a total of 1200 people died and 251 people were taken hostage in the attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
More than 70,000 people have been killed in the ongoing conflict in Gaza, according to health officials in the region.
