"Several countries have announced plans to boycott next year's Eurovision Song Contest over the continued participation of Israel in the face of the ongoing, deadly conflict in Gaza. A vote was held by European Broadcasting Union (EBU) members on Thursday 4 December regarding proposed new rules for the event, which effectively meant Israel would be allowed to compete in next year's contest, which is set to take place in Vienna in May."
"Ireland's RTÉ said they would not take part due to the "loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis" which is ongoing. In a statement, Dutch broadcaster Avrotros said that "participation under the current circumstances is incompatible with the public values that are essential to us". Slovenia said: "As a public service broadcaster, RTV Slovenia is committed to upholding ethical principles and expects that equal rules and standards apply to all EBU members and all participating countries.""
A vote by European Broadcasting Union members on 4 December approved proposed new rules that effectively allow Israel to compete in Eurovision 2026 in Vienna. Since the Gaza war began, entrants raised concerns about Israel's inclusion and allegations emerged that Israel campaigned unfairly to boost votes for its 2024 entrant, Yuval Raphael. Dana International described the boycott decision as "violent and insulting", but several countries still announced withdrawals. Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Iceland cited humanitarian concerns, ethical principles and public values in their statements. One former winner returned their trophy.
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