By Emmanuel Thomas l Friday, Dec.05.25
GENEVA — The Eurovision Song Contest, a decades-old pan-European celebration of pop music meant to be apolitical, is facing its deepest crisis in history after broadcasters from four countries—Ireland, Slovenia, Spain, and the Netherlands—announced their withdrawal from the 2026 competition following a decision to allow Israel to compete.
The boycotts, which came after a general assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (E.B.U.) declined to hold a vote on excluding the Israeli broadcaster Kan, underscore the immense pressure the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict is exerting on global cultural institutions.
Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTÉ, confirmed its withdrawal, stating that participation was “unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there.” The sentiment was echoed by the Slovenian public broadcaster, RTVSLO, which cited its core values of “peace, equality, and respect.”
The decisions deepen a rift that has politicized the contest for the last two years, marked by large-scale pro-Palestinian protests outside the venues in both 2024 and 2025.
The E.B.U., the alliance of public broadcasters that runs the contest, met in Geneva on Thursday to address growing demands for Israel’s exclusion, a contentious step that critics argue runs counter to the spirit of the event.
While the E.B.U. did not hold a vote on exclusion, a large majority of members approved new safeguards designed to prevent governments and third parties from manipulating the public voting system—a measure many saw as an olive branch following allegations of undue political influence around Israel’s second-place finish in the 2025 contest.
However, for the boycotting broadcasters, the measure was insufficient.
Spain’s RTVE expressed “serious doubts” and confirmed its withdrawal, citing the difficulty of maintaining Eurovision as a neutral cultural event given the war in Gaza. The Dutch broadcaster, AVROTROS, also withdrew, asserting that Israel’s participation “is no longer compatible with the responsibility we bear as a public broadcaster.”
The E.B.U. defended its decision, noting that the Israeli broadcaster Kan meets all the statutory requirements for participation, a distinction the union often draws to differentiate from the 2022 exclusion of Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. In that instance, the E.B.U. cited state-media violations, although the decision was widely viewed as a geopolitical action taken in response to widespread member demand.
A History of Political Tensions
Since its founding in 1956, the contest, which will celebrate its 70th anniversary in Vienna in 2026, has repeatedly struggled to remain “pop before politics.”
Israel’s participation has been a flashpoint since its debut in 1973, sparking boycotts and diplomatic incidents, particularly from Arab states who were eligible to join the union. In 1979, Turkey withdrew from the contest, reportedly under pressure from Arab nations following Israel’s hosting of the event. Jordan famously cut its transmission when it became apparent Israel was set to win in 1978.
However, the current wave of withdrawals over the conflict in Gaza marks the most significant protest in the contest’s history, involving multiple long-standing European members, including Ireland, which holds a record seven Eurovision victories.
The crisis now forces the E.B.U. and participating countries, including supporters like Germany and the host nation Austria, to navigate a major split that threatens to undermine the contest’s unity slogan, “United by Music,” and risks alienating millions of viewers across the continent.
