Boycott

Four European countries announced they would boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest after organizers allowed Israel to continue competing.

Context

Israel has competed in Eurovision – an annual international song competition – since 1973 because its public broadcaster is a member of the European Broadcasting Union. The country has won the contest four times, and this year's Israeli contestant finished second in the competition in May. In this year’s Eurovision contest, there were allegations that Israel's government had improperly promoted this year's contestant through official channels.

Eurovision Meeting

The European Broadcasting Union, which organizes Eurovision, held a meeting in Geneva last Thursday. Several member countries had called for Israel to be excluded from the competition due to the war in Gaza.

Instead of voting on Israel's participation, members voted on new rules designed to prevent governments from influencing the contest's voting system. By approving these rules, a large majority of members agreed that Israel could continue to compete and that the 2026 contest could proceed as planned.

Countries Boycott

Following the vote, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovenia announced through their public broadcasters that they would withdraw from next year's contest. Ireland said participation remained impossible given the conflict in Gaza.

Spain, which had led calls for a ballot on Israel's participation, said the decision increased its distrust of the festival's organization. The Netherlands and Slovenia also said they could not participate under the current circumstances.

Germany Welcomes Decision

Germany, which had warned it would pull out of Eurovision if Israel was banned, supported the decision. Nordic broadcasters from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland issued a joint statement supporting the voting system changes. 

Israel's President Isaac Herzog praised the decision, calling it a gesture of “solidarity” and “cooperation.” The CEO of Israel's broadcaster said attempts to exclude the country amounted to a cultural boycott.