Four countries: Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands, have announced they will boycott Eurovision 2026 after Israel was allowed to participate in next year's contest. The EBU's decision came without a special vote on Israel's participation, which angered some of the participating broadcasters who had called for its exclusion due to the war in Gaza.
The general meeting only approved new rules to prevent influence by governments or third parties in the promotion of songs, but the majority of members declared that a vote on Israel was not necessary. 65% of delegates voted in favor of the new rules, while the issue of participation was closed without further discussion.
Ireland's RTÉ said participation was "unjustifiable" given the loss of life in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis. Spain's RTVE said it would not broadcast the contest, calling the process unclear and fraught with political pressure. The Netherlands' Avrotros and Slovenia's RTVSLO also withdrew, saying participation went against their values ??of peace, equality and respect.
On the other hand, Nordic countries such as Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland voted in favor of the new rules and signaled that they would remain part of Eurovision. The BBC, Germany's SWR and Austria's ORF also confirmed their participation, stressing that the contest is organized by broadcasters, not governments, and that Kan - the Israeli public broadcaster - meets the requirements to compete.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog supported the decision, saying that Israel "deserves to be represented on every international stage" and that Eurovision should continue to promote culture, friendship and understanding between countries.
Eurovision 2026 will be held in Vienna, following Austria's victory this year with artist JJ. Israel has also participated regularly in recent years, while Russia remains excluded since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
