Ireland among countries boycotting Eurovision after Israel allowed to compete

Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia will boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, after it was decided Israel could compete.

They were among a number of countries who had called for Israel to be excluded over the war in Gaza and accusations of unfair voting practices.

But at a meeting in Geneva where a vote was held on new safeguards, a "large majority" of members agreed there was no need for a further vote on participation and that Eurovision 2026 could proceed as planned, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said.

Spanish broadcaster RTVE, which had led calls for a secret ballot on the issue, said the decision had increased its "distrust of the festival's organisation".

Ireland's RTÉ said it felt that its "participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk."

However, the decision has exposed a deep rift in the Eurovision community.

In a statement, Dutch broadcaster Avrotros said that "participation under the current circumstances is incompatible with the public values ​​that are essential to us".

Spanish broadcaster RTVE added: "The board of directors of RTVE agreed last September that Spain would withdraw from Eurovision if Israel was part of it."

"This withdrawal also means that RTVE will not broadcast the Eurovision 2026 final... nor the preliminary semi-finals."

Slovenia's broadcaster RTV added that their position also "remains unchanged".

"The recent rule changes do not alter our view. As a public service broadcaster, RTV Slovenia is committed to upholding ethical principles and expects that equal rules and standards apply to all EBU members and all participating countries."

Belgium's broadcaster said it would "take a position in the coming days".

Those who approved of the changes included Nordic broadcasters from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland who issued a joint statement saying they "supported" the EBU's decision to "address critical shortcomings" in the voting system.

Despite that, Iceland's RÚV said it would not make a final decision on its participation until next week.

Germany, which had threatened to leave the contest if Israel was removed, also welcomed Thursday's decision.

Its broadcaster ARD said it was "looking forward to participating" next year, "embracing it as a celebration of cultural diversity and solidarity".

It added: "At the same time, we deeply regret the decisions of individual EBU members to withdraw from the ESC 2026 but, of course, respect the choices made by the respective broadcasters."

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