Four countries to boycott Eurovision 2026 over Israel’s inclusion
Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain have said they will boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, following the decision to allow Israel to compete, Al Jazeera reports.
The response on Thursday came immediately after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which runs the competition, said there would not be a vote on whether to exclude Israel, despite calls from some countries to do so.
The changes, which include the reintroduction of an expanded professional jury at the semifinal stage, aim to discourage governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to sway voters.
In response to Israel’s inclusion, the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS said that “under the current circumstances, participation cannot be reconciled with the public values that are fundamental to our organisation”.
Ireland will not take part in Eurovision 2026 either, with its broadcaster RTE citing “the loss of lives in Gaza and humanitarian crisis” as the reason for its boycott.
It should be noted, Kazakhstan welcomes UN Security Council approval of peace plan for Gaza.