Four EU states to boycott Eurovision 2026 over Israel’s participation

Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands have announced that they are withdrawing from the song contest

Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands have said they will boycott the next Eurovision Song Contest after Israel was cleared to take part. Earlier this year, several broadcasters urged contest organizers the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to bar Israel over alleged vote-rigging and the war in Gaza.

The latest US-brokered truce in the conflict was intended to pause the hostilities and allow humanitarian aid into the enclave, but continued Israeli attacks have killed 366 people since it was imposed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

This followed a year of escalating violence after Israel launched its military operation in response to Hamas’ October 2023 attack, which killed 1,200 people and led to 250 being taken hostage. The Israeli operation has since killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, according to the local health authorities.

The responses came on Thursday, after the EBU approved tougher voting rules. The move followed allegations by several European broadcasters that the 2025 contest was manipulated to boost the Israeli contestant.

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Hours later, Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS announced its withdrawal. “Infringement of universal values such as humanity, press freedom, but also the political interference that occurred during the previous edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, crossed a boundary for us,” it said.

Ireland’s RTE cited the “appalling loss of lives in Gaza,” the humanitarian crisis, and Israel’s crackdown on press freedom as reasons for its withdrawal and decision not to air the event.

Slovenia’s RTVSLO also said it would not take part. “We cannot stand on the same stage with a representative of a country that caused the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza,” Director Ksenija Horvat said.

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Spanish broadcaster RTVE later confirmed that it would pull out as well. RTVE, along with broadcasters from seven other countries, requested a secret ballot on Israel’s participation. When the EBU rejected the call, RTVE said the decision “deepens our distrust in the organisation of the contest and confirms the political pressure surrounding it.”

Eurovision organizers have introduced new rules to address interference concerns, including limits on audience voting, stricter promotion guidelines, enhanced security safeguards, and the return of juries to the semifinals.