Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands will not take part in next year’s Eurovision Song event. This is because Israel was allowed to compete in the 2026 event even though some participating stations asked for it to be banned because of the conflict in Gaza.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which runs the tournament, did not hold a vote on whether or not Israel may take part yesterday, Thursday December 4th.
Instead, the broadcasters who took part merely decided to make new rules that would bar governments and third parties from unfairly pushing songs to sway voters.
The EBU said in a statement, “A large majority of members agreed that there was no need for another vote on participation and that the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 should go ahead as planned, with the extra safety measures in place.”
In reaction, RTÉ, an Irish broadcaster, declared it will not participate in or air the 2026 event. RTÉ said in a statement, “RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation is still unacceptable because of the terrible loss of life in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put so many civilians’ lives at risk.”
The Spanish TV station RTVE also declared it wouldn’t show the tournament or the semifinals in Vienna next year, saying that the way the selection was made was “insufficient” and caused “distrust.”
The BBC said it would show next year’s competition and added, “We support the decision made by all members of the EBU.” It said, “This is about following the EBU’s rules and being open to everyone.” SWR, a German broadcaster, said it would take part.
At a meeting of broadcasters in Geneva on Thursday, the Spanish national broadcaster and seven other countries formally asked for a secret ballot.
The EBU leadership has turned down RTVE’s proposal for a separate vote on whether or not Israel should be allowed to participate. According to a statement, “This decision makes RTVE less trusting of the festival’s organisation and confirms the political pressure around it.”
Ernest Urtasun, Spain’s culture minister, supported the boycott. “You can’t cover up Israel because of the genocide in Gaza,” he stated. Culture should support peace and fairness. “I’m proud of an RTVE that puts people’s rights ahead of any business interest.”
The Dutch broadcaster Avrotros declared in a statement on Thursday afternoon that it will also not take part in the event next year. “Avrotros has come to the conclusion that, given the current situation, participation is not compatible with the public values that are at the heart of our organisation.”
RTVSLO, the Slovenian national broadcaster that first threatened a boycott this summer, claimed that participation “would conflict with its values of peace, equality, and respect.”
At the meeting on Thursday, EBU members talked about new rules that would bar governments and other groups from pushing songs to sway voters.
After Israel won the public vote at the contest in May, some countries were worried about unfair ways of promoting the country. Israel came in second overall after the jury votes were counted.
The suggested regulation amendments were considered as a way to make peace with broadcasters that were critical of Israel, but most of the countries that had said they would boycott the tournament thought they weren’t enough.
Author: Derek Appleton
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