“A number of European countries, including Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia, have said they will boycott the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 after Israel was allowed to participate. According to the Independent, the decision to not participate was made by the countries after a meeting of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in Geneva, where concerns about Israel’s role in the background of the war in the Gaza Strip were discussed. As a result, the members”, — write on: ua.news
A number of European countries, including Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia, have said they will boycott the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 after Israel was allowed to participate.
According to the Independent, the decision to not participate was made by the countries after a meeting of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in Geneva, where concerns about Israel’s role in the background of the war in the Gaza Strip were discussed. As a result, EBU members decided not to put Israel’s entry to the vote, instead adopting rules designed to prevent governments from influencing the contest.
Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE said it would not broadcast or participate in the contest, saying it would be “unconscionable given the terrible loss of life in Gaza” and the humanitarian crisis. RTE also expressed its deep concern at the “targeted killing of journalists in Gaza” and the “continued denial of international journalists access to the territory”.
Dutch broadcaster Avrotros also announced it would not broadcast the competition, saying it “would be incompatible with the societal values that are fundamental to us”. Executive director Taco Zimmerman said that “universal values like humanity and a free press have been seriously violated and are non-negotiable for us.”
Slovenian broadcaster RTV said it was pulling out of the competition “on behalf of the 20,000 children who died in Gaza”. The head of RTV Slovenia’s board, Natalija Gorsk, said that the public “has been demanding for the third year in a row that we say no to the participation of any country that attacks another country.”
We will remind you that Israel will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has officially confirmed the country’s participation, despite ongoing debate and calls for a boycott. The decision to admit Israel was accompanied by discussions among members of the European Broadcasting Union. Spain became one of the most active critics of the country’s participation. Also, the public broadcasters of the Netherlands (Avrotros) and Ireland (RTÉ) said that they may boycott the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 if Israel participates in it.
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