Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia Boycott Eurovision After EBU Clears Israel to Compete

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) decided at its Geneva assembly not to hold a separate vote to bar Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest.

“In the past 24 hours Gaza authorities reported eight bodies brought to hospitals (seven newly killed, one recovered) and 16 injuries; medical sources say the overall toll since 7 October 2023 is about 70,125 dead and more than 171,015 injured, with many victims — including children — still trapped under rubble”

- IMEMC News

Instead, the EBU approved new safeguards to curb government or third-party promotion and to strengthen jury influence.

- IMEMC News

The EBU also confirmed that Israel’s public broadcaster KAN is eligible to compete in Vienna in 2026.

Immediately after the EBU cleared Israel to participate, several national public broadcasters - Ireland’s RTÉ, Spain’s RTVE, the Netherlands’ AVROTROS and Slovenia’s RTVSLO - announced they would withdraw or boycott the contest, citing Israel’s actions in Gaza and the humanitarian toll.

The row has been described as one of Eurovision’s biggest controversies.

Israel’s president and government officials welcomed the EBU decision.

Some member broadcasters, including Germany and Austria, signalled support for broad participation.

Broadcasters explicitly linked their boycott announcements to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and to allegations of press restrictions and targeted killings.

Several sources cited Gaza health authorities reporting more than 70,000 dead, and Slovenia’s public broadcaster referenced "the 20,000 children who died in Gaza."

1News

Some experts and U.N.-commissioned reviewers have said Israel’s offensive amounts to genocide, a claim reported by the Associated Press, 1News and other outlets.

Israel and its officials reject such characterizations and describe the campaign as a response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks that killed about 1,200 people and took around 251 hostages.

The EBU addressed allegations that Israel's 2024 participation benefited from disproportionate promotion.

“Several European broadcasters — Ireland’s RTE, the Netherlands’ public broadcaster, Slovenia and Spain’s RTVE — said they will boycott Eurovision 2026 in Vienna after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) decided not to hold a vote to exclude Israel and cleared it to compete”

Al Jazeera

It adopted rule changes intended to curb government or third-party interference and to rebalance jury and public voting.

Reported measures include halving the maximum public televotes from 20 to 10 and urging viewers to spread their votes.

The EBU also expanded professional juries in the semi-finals so jury and public votes are roughly equal.

The organisation said these steps protect contest integrity after accusations of paid advertising and organised campaigns.

Reactions split sharply across Europe.

Israel's officials and KAN called exclusion attempts a "cultural boycott" and welcomed the EBU ruling.

Al Jazeera

Boycotting broadcasters framed their decisions as moral stands against Israel's military actions in Gaza and restrictions on journalists.

Governments and broadcasters are divided, with Germany and Austria signalling they would not back exclusion and the BBC and other public broadcasters defending the EBU's collective decision.

Several EU broadcasters warned the boycott could damage viewership, sponsorship, and the contest's global reach.

The fallout raises a direct question about Eurovision’s claim to political neutrality and the contest’s future.

“Here’s a concise summary of the main items in the article: - The European Broadcasting Union voted to clear Israel to compete in Eurovision Song Contest 2026; the EBU said members who accept new rules may participate, but several countries have announced boycotts in response to Israel’s inclusion”

Apa.az

Some sources warn that a boycott by EU member states would be unprecedented and could dent audience figures and sponsorship.

Apa.az

Others argue that neutrality cannot mean silence in the face of what they describe as systematic killing in Gaza.

Coverage invokes precedent—Russia’s 2022 exclusion after the invasion of Ukraine—to highlight perceived inconsistency in how the EBU applies rules.

Experts predict 2026 will be one of Eurovision’s most politicised editions yet, with participation confirmations due by mid-December.