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Eurovision Boycott
Israel will be allowed to compete in next year's Eurovision Song Contest, organisers have said - with several broadcasters saying they will now boycott the event.
Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS, Spain's RTVE, Ireland's RTE and Slovenia's RTV immediately issued statements saying they will not participate in the 2026 contest following the European Broadcasting Union's general assembly meeting on Thursday.
Members from 37 countries were asked to vote in a secret ballot on whether they were happy with tougher new rules announced last month, without going ahead with a vote on participation next year.
It followed criticism from some broadcasters of Israel's role in Eurovision amid the war in Gaza, and allegations that voting at this year's contest had been manipulated in favour of their contestant.
In a statement, the EBU, which organises Eurovision, said members had shown "clear support for reforms to reinforce trust and protect neutrality". Sky News understands 11 countries voted against only accepting the rule changes.
Golan Yochpaz, chief executive of Israel's public broadcaster KAN, said during the meeting that attempts to remove them from the contest could "only be understood as a cultural boycott", according to a statement shared by the organisation.
Israel's president Isaac Herzog posted on X following the announcement, saying: "Israel deserves to be represented on every stage around the world, a cause to which I am fully and actively committed... I hope that the competition will remain one that champions culture, music, friendship between nations, and cross-border cultural understanding."
The broadcasters from Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands had all said earlier in the year that they would not participate in 2026 should Israel be allowed to continue in the competition.
In a statement following the general assembly meeting, RTE confirmed Ireland's position.
"RTE feels that Ireland's participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk," the broadcaster said.
AVROTROS, broadcaster for the Netherlands, said that "under the current circumstances, participation cannot be reconciled with the public values that are fundamental to our organisation".
General director Taco Zimmerman said it had not been an easy decision, adding: "Culture unites, but not at any price. What has happened over the past year has tested the limits of what we can uphold."
Confirming its withdrawal, Spain's RTVE highlighted how its board of directors had agreed in September that the country would withdraw "if Israel was part of it".
This is a big deal for Eurovision, as Spain is one of the "Big Five" broadcasters - a group which also includes France, Germany, Italy and the UK. While the host broadcaster - as last year's winners, this is Austria this year - will often contribute the most towards the cost of staging the contest, the Big Five will also make up a significant amount.
5 December 2025
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