Eurovision 2026 boycotted over Israel links

On December 5, at least four public television stations in European countries announced that they would not participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) allowed Israel to send a representative.

At a meeting earlier in the day in Geneva, Switzerland, the EBU decided not to hold a separate vote on whether Israel could continue to participate in Eurovision 2026, instead adopting a series of new regulations to increase transparency and fairness in the voting system, especially limiting interference from governments and third parties.

Following this decision, the EBU confirmed that Israel will continue to participate in the Eurovision 2026 contest, scheduled to be held in Vienna (Austria) in May 2026.

According to a VNA reporter in Tel Aviv, Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed the EBU's decision and pledged to continue promoting Israel's cultural presence in international forums.

The EBU's decision has sparked strong reactions from several countries. Shortly after the decision was announced, national broadcasters from Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia announced they would boycott Eurovision 2026 in protest at Israel's participation.

Dutch television said Israel's participation was no longer appropriate, while Spain's RTVE said the situation in Gaza and Israel's use of Eurovision for political purposes made it increasingly difficult for the contest to maintain its neutrality.

RTÉ stressed that Ireland could not accept the rising civilian casualties in Gaza and the continuing humanitarian crisis. Other countries such as Iceland and Belgium were also reported to have considered or expressed their opposition earlier, while a number of Nordic countries and the UK pledged their continued support for the competition and the EBU's neutral role.

For its part, the Broadcasting Union confirmed that RTVE (Spain), AVROTROS (Netherlands), RTÉ (Ireland) and RTVSLO (Slovenia) have announced their withdrawal from the competition. The final list of participating countries will be announced before Christmas.

Eurovision expert Dean Vuletic said this was one of the most serious crises the EBU had ever experienced. He said the 70th anniversary contest in Vienna in May would see the biggest boycott in its history, with more countries likely to withdraw. Iceland's RUV is due to meet next week to decide whether to participate after the body's board proposed removing Israel from the list.

Eurovision has been embroiled in international events on several occasions, including Russia’s disqualification in 2022 after it launched a military operation in Ukraine. However, the conflict in Gaza is seen as the biggest challenge to the apolitical nature that the EBU strives to maintain.

The move to withdraw from the contest also puts financial pressure on Eurovision, at a time when many broadcasters are struggling due to reduced government funding and the rise of social media.

Spain is one of the five biggest contributors to the competition, while Ireland is the country that shares the record with Sweden with seven titles.

Controversy over Israel's participation also overshadows the return of Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania after absences due to financial difficulties and other issues./.

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