Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands are set to boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, after it was decided that Israel was allowed to compete.
Israel’s participation in the competition has been under question for some time, with several countries calling for Israel to be excluded given the current genocide.
After it was decided officially that Israel would be allowed to compete in the 2026 competition, several countries have announced they are boycotting.
In a statement, Dutch broadcaster Avrotros said that ‘participation under the current circumstances is incompatible with the public values that are essential to us.’
Spanish broadcaster RTVE added: ‘The board of directors of RTVE agreed last September that Spain would withdraw from Eurovision if Israel was part of it.
This withdrawal also means that RTVE will not broadcast the Eurovision 2026 final… nor the preliminary semi-finals.’
RTE, Ireland’s leading broadcaster, also announced that Ireland would not be participating.
A number of other countries have followed suit, with RTV Slovenia saying Belgium, Iceland and Slovenia will not take part.
The war in Gaza is not the only reason for the country to be ousted, as there have also been accusations of unfair voting practices.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 is set to be the 70th edition of the European show.
It is scheduled to consist of two semi-finals and a final in May, held at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria.
