Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia are boycotting Eurovision because of Israel’s continued participation, the countries confirmed on December 4. Their decision comes after the European Broadcasting Union General Assembly refused to allow a vote on whether Israel could compete, functionally allowing them to participate. “We would like to express our serious doubts about the participation of Israeli broadcaster KAN in Eurovision 2026,” Spanish broadcaster RTVE’s secretary general, Alfonso Morales, said in a statement. “The situation in Gaza, despite the ceasefire and the approval of the peace process, and Israel’s use of the contest for political purposes, make it increasingly difficult to maintain Eurovision as a neutral cultural event.” Spain’s boycott is particularly difficult for Eurovision because it is part of the “Big Five,” which refers to the group of countries that make the largest financial contribution to the contest.
“Israel deserves to be represented on every stage around the world, a cause to which I am fully and actively committed,” Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, wrote on social media. “I am pleased that Israel will once again participate in the Eurovision Song Contest, and I hope that the competition will remain one that champions culture, music, friendship between nations, and cross-border cultural understanding.”
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The controversy over whether or not to exclude Israel follows the 2022 decision by the EBU to ban Russia indefinitely over its siege on Ukraine. Israel, though it is not a European country, competes in Eurovision because KAN, the Israeli broadcaster, is a member of the EBU. “The attempt to remove KAN from the contest can only be understood as a cultural boycott,” KAN chief executive Golan Yochpaz said at the December 4 meeting that did not end up including a vote on Israel, per the New York Times. “A boycott may begin today — with Israel — but no one knows where it will end or who else it may harm.” He added: “Is this what we truly want this contest to be remembered for on its 70th anniversary?”
