Iceland has withdrawn from the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, joining Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain in a coordinated boycott over Israel’s inclusion in the event.

The Icelandic National Broadcasting Corporation (RÚV) said Israel’s participation had “created disunity” within the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and among the public, undermining Eurovision’s ‘United By Music’ slogan.

Protests over Israel’s entry were widespread at last year’s contest in Malmö, Sweden, amid the war in Gaza.

RÚV said domestic debate and reaction to the EBU’s decision to permit Israel to take part this year left the broadcaster convinced that “it is clear that neither joy nor peace will prevail regarding the participation of RÚV in Eurovision”.

The broadcaster said it had formally asked the EBU to bar Israeli public broadcaster KAN, calling the situation “a complex matter which has already damaged the contest's reputation and EBU, emphasizing the necessity of a solution for all concerned parties”.

The four other boycotting countries issued similar statements last week. Irish broadcaster RTÉ said Ireland could not participate because it would be “unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there”.

Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS said that “under the current circumstances, participation cannot be reconciled with the public values that are fundamental to our organisation”.

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.

Eurovision director Martin Green said in a statement, “We respect the decision of all broadcasters who have chosen not to participate in next year's Eurovision Song Contest and hope to welcome them back soon”.

The EBU had last week 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.

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”.