Who will boycott Eurovision if Israel competes? Full list of countries confirming withdrawal plans

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Spain has joined a growing number of countries threatening to pull out of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2026 if Israel is permitted to participate.

This country is the fifth to announce it will withdraw from the competition due to Israel’s involvement, following the war in Gaza. Notably, it’s the first of the ‘Big Five’ – the competition’s biggest financial contributors, which also include the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and France – to do so.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the country was excluded from the competition. However, Israel has continued to participate, even though there’s been increasing worry about its activities in Gaza.

Broadcasters have until mid-December to decide whether they want to participate.

Who will boycott Eurovision if Israel competes? Full list of countries confirming withdrawal plans

Slovenia

Slovenia’s public broadcaster, RTVSLO, was the first to say it would withdraw from the competition if Israel participated.

I was really struck by RTV Slovenia’s strong stance. They announced in early September that back in July, at the European Broadcasting Union’s meeting in London, they made it clear they wouldn’t participate in Eurovision if Israel was allowed to compete, given the terrible situation and ongoing events in Gaza. It showed a real commitment to their values.

Ireland

Ireland’s public broadcaster, RTÉ, has stated it will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2026 if Israel is allowed to compete.

On September 11th, RTÉ stated that they believe it would be wrong for Ireland to participate, considering the terrible and continuing loss of life in Gaza.

RTÉ is very worried about the deliberate killings of journalists in Gaza, as well as the fact that international journalists are being prevented from entering the area. They are also deeply concerned about the situation of those who are still being held hostage.

Netherlands

Avrotros, the Dutch public broadcaster, has stated that the Netherlands will not participate in next year’s competition if Israel is allowed to compete.

As a film lover, I was really struck by Avrotos’ statement on September 12th. They explained they were making a difficult decision because of the terrible suffering happening in Gaza, and also because of the increasing threats to journalists and freedom of the press. It felt like a brave and important thing to say.

The statement highlighted that causing people pain, limiting press freedom, and political meddling go against the principles of public broadcasting.

Iceland

Iceland’s involvement in the 2026 competition is uncertain. According to StefĂĄn EirĂ­ksson of RÚV, their participation depends on the results of current discussions within the EBU, which are focused on whether Israel’s broadcaster, KAN, will be allowed to compete.

EirĂ­ksson also stated that RÚV maintains the option to pull out of the competition if the EBU doesn’t provide an acceptable response.

Spain

Spain’s public broadcaster, RTVE, has joined others in suggesting it might not participate in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is allowed to compete.

RTVE announced on Tuesday, September 16th, that Spain will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is allowed to compete this year.

The decision was made following a proposal by RTVE President JosĂ© Pablo LĂłpez, and it was approved unanimously by the organization’s leadership.

Will the UK boycott Eurovision if Israel competes?

At the time of writing, the UK has not announced any boycott of Eurovision should Israel compete.

Tim Davie, the BBC’s director-general, has acknowledged public worries about Israel competing in the contest, but has indicated the UK will still participate.

Speaking to a parliamentary committee on Monday, he emphasized that Eurovision should be a celebration of music and culture, not politics, and should unite people. He stated it’s important to maintain this focus and that he supports the European Broadcasting Union as they move forward with the competition.

The group that runs Eurovision, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), will decide by the end of the year if Israel will be allowed to compete.

Davie explained that the contest involves each country’s broadcasters submitting a song, and it’s important to make sure the selection process is fair and not influenced by politics. The European Broadcasting Union has a lot of details to manage to ensure everything runs smoothly.

“Then, as an independent BBC, we will look at that, and then we can go from there.”

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2025-09-17 15:19