Eurovision boycott widens as Ireland and Netherlands warn over Israel’s participation

Slovenia and Spain have also made their participation conditional 'due to genocide in Gaza', but European Broadcasting Union maintains it will not ban Israel

A memorial for Palestinian journalist Anas Al Sharif, assassinated by Israel, and pro-Palestine protest signs outside RTE studios in Dublin, Ireland. Reuters

Ireland's national broadcaster RTE and The Netherlands's AvroTros said they will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is allowed to compete as the war in Gaza rages on.

The broadcasters are the latest members of the European Broadcasting Union, which organises Eurovision, to make their participation conditional. Slovenia's RTVSLO earlier said it would also boycott the annual event “due to the genocide in Gaza”, should Israel participate.

“RTE feels that Ireland’s participation would be unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza,” RTE director-general Kevin Bakhurst said on Friday. “RTE is also deeply concerned by the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza, the denial of access to international journalists to the territory and the plight of the remaining hostages.”

In a statement posted on social media on Friday, AvroTros said it "can no longer justify Israel's participation in the current situation, given the ongoing and severe human suffering in Gaza."

"There is proven evidence of interference by the Israeli government during the most recent edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, in which the event was used as a political instrument," the Dutch broadcaster added. "The broadcaster has therefore decided that participation by AvroTros in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will not be possible as long as Israel is admitted by the EBU."

The long-running Eurovision Song Contest, which features country members of the EBU, is one of the world’s biggest TV events watched by more than 200 million viewers.

The 2026 competition is set to take place in Vienna, after Austria's JJ won this year's contest.

Austrian singer-songwriter Johannes Pietsch, known by the stage name JJ, won the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest. EPA

Ireland and Slovenia are not the only countries putting pressure on organiser EBU. Spain's Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun said earlier this week that his country's participation will also hinge on whether or not Israel is expelled from the competition.

“I don’t think we can normalise Israel’s participation in international forums as if nothing’s happened,” Urtasun said.

His comments follow those made by Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez who called on Israel to withdraw from Eurovision in May.

“Nobody was up in arms when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began three years ago and Russia had to leave international competitions and could not take part in Eurovision,” Mr Sanchez said at a news conference. “Therefore Israel shouldn't either, because what we cannot allow is double standards in culture.”

Iceland's national broadcaster RUV also told the BBC earlier that its involvement in the 2026 contest was “subject to the outcome of the ongoing consultation process within the EBU, due to the participation of the Israeli state broadcaster Kan in the competition”.

Other member countries are, however, supportive of Israel's participation.

Broadcasters in Austria, Germany and Switzerland have publicly expressed support for Israel, while the UK's BBC reportedly requested that a vote be avoided and encouraged continued dialogue at a recent EBU meeting, with many seeing the move as a concession to Israel.

The EBU has consistently maintained that it will not ban Israel, stating that Eurovision is a competition between public broadcasters, not governments, and that Israel's Kan has not broken any rules.

Pro-Palestine demonstrators at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland. EPA

Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest, said the EBU “understand the concerns and deeply held views around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East”.

“We are still consulting with all EBU members to gather views on how we manage participation and geopolitical tensions around the Eurovision Song Contest,” he said.

“Broadcasters have until mid-December to confirm if they wish to take part in next year's event in Vienna. It is up to each member to decide if they want to take part in the contest and we would respect any decision broadcasters make.”

Political divisions have clouded the contest over the years, but more so since 2023 following the war in Gaza.

Israel’s 2024 entry, October Rain by Eden Golan, was deemed too political by EBU officials, which led to a change in lyrics as well as the song being renamed Hurricane.

Similar to last year, demonstrations calling for Israel to be banned from the competition were held outside this year's venue in Basel, Switzerland.

This year's Israeli contestant, Yuval Raphael, placed second after Austria's JJ narrowly beat her during the final round of voting.

Austrian-Filipino singer JJ, who grew up in Dubai, waded into controversy when he said he was “disappointed to see Israel still participating” in the competition, telling Spanish daily El Pais: “I would like Eurovision to be held without Israel in Vienna next year.”