Ireland, Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain are among the countries set to boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest following a decision by organisers to allow Israel to compete, as per media reports.
The reaction comes after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), organisers of the global contest, announced that they would not accept any votes for excluding Israel from the event.
The EBU on Thursday issued a statement that cleared Israel’s participation in the contest. The statement mentioned that the members had shown “clear support for reforms to reinforce trust and protect [the] neutrality” of the competition.
Earlier this week, the European Broadcasting Union met amid growing pressure from several countries threatening to withdraw over the Gaza war to decide the future of Israel’s participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest.
The EBU had also convened broadcasters to examine a new set of rules aimed at preventing governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting entries to influence voting.
Public broadcasters in Slovenia, Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands had previously warned they will boycott next year’s contest in Austria if Israel is allowed to compete, citing concern over the Palestinian death toll in Gaza, which has surpassed 70,000, according to Gaza health authorities.
Following the decision, the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS said that “under the current circumstances, participation cannot be reconciled with the public values that are fundamental to our organisation”. As per a report by Al Jazeera, it also accused Israel of “proven interference” in the contest last year and pointed out the country’s “serious violation of press freedom” during the Gaza war.
Irish broadcaster RTE, on the other hand, laid down its reason for the boycott, citing “the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and humanitarian crisis”.
The move from Slovenia came “on behalf of the 20,000 children who died in Gaza”, their national broadcaster said in a statement.
Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE also cited humanitarian reasons for backing out. “The situation in Gaza, despite the ceasefire and the approval of the peace process, and the use of the contest for political goals by Israel, make it increasingly difficult to keep Eurovision a neutral cultural event,” Spain’s secretary-general, Alfonso Morales, said in a statement.
Isaac Herzog, president of Israel, commented on the country’s inclusion in the global event. He argued that his country “deserves to be represented on every stage around the world”.
Eurovision, watched annually by around 150 million viewers worldwide, traditionally projects itself as a non-political event. However, the conflict in Gaza has pulled the competition into political debate. Analysts say withdrawals by major European participants, including Spain, could significantly impact audience numbers and sponsorship.