Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, and the Netherlands will boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest after Israel was allowed to participate despite calls for its exclusion over public outrage at the genocide in Gaza.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) held no vote on Israel’s participation during its general assembly. Instead, broadcasters approved new rules intended to prevent governments and outside groups from unduly promoting entries. The EBU said most members felt no further vote was necessary and that the contest should proceed with added safeguards.
In response, Ireland’s RTÉ and Spain’s RTVE announced they would neither participate in nor broadcast the event, citing distrust in the process and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The BBC and Germany’s SWR, however, confirmed they would continue to take part. Spain’s culture minister supported the boycott, arguing that Israel should not be “whitewashed” amid the conflict in Gaza. Broadcasters from the Netherlands and Slovenia also withdrew, saying participation conflicted with their core values despite new EBU rules aimed at curbing undue influence on voting.
Last year’s Israeli entrant