More than 12,000 people have signed the petition “For the Immediate Withdrawal of Portugal from the Eurovision Song Contest While Israel Participates”, created on December 5, a day after RTP confirmed its participation in the event.
In the petition, citizens express their “profound disagreement” with RTP’s stance, emphasizing that their indignation is “aggravated by the fact that the Portuguese representation voted in favor of Israel’s participation, putting Portugal on the wrong side of history.”
“This indignation is worsened by the fact that the Portuguese representation voted in favor of Israel’s participation, putting Portugal on the wrong side of history,” they assert, considering that “this stance is unacceptable given the continuous humanitarian catastrophe and military offensive in Gaza, and the voting manipulation scandals that tarnished the 2025 edition in Basel.”
The signatories believe that the “integrity of the contest was destroyed because the stage was captured by political interests,” with “factual evidence visible in the 2025 edition, that the tele-vote was manipulated by organized campaigns by the Israeli state.”
“RTP cannot submit Portuguese artists to a contest where the winner is decided by who invests more in propaganda to whitewash the image of an armed conflict,” emphasize the petitioners.
In the document, the authors recall Portugal’s performance at Eurovision in 1997, when the group “Os Amigos” was “prohibited by the organization from taking the stage with red carnations on their lapel,” as it was considered an “unacceptable political message.”
“It’s an affront to the Portuguese that the same organization that censored our peace carnations now turns a blind eye to a state responsible for a severe humanitarian crisis, even allowing it to manipulate the contest rules to normalize its military actions,” they highlight, adding that “there is an ethical duty not to use public funds in an event that has turned into a platform for image-cleansing through the art of serious Human Rights violations” and that the “mission of RTP is to promote culture and peace, not to normalize war.”
Thus, the petition’s signatories consider that “by voting favorably for Israel’s participation, RTP has stopped being just a passive participant and become an active accomplice in normalizing the conflict.”
In summary, the petition demands that, “given the gravity of the humanitarian situation, the proven manipulation of results as a propaganda tool, and the shameful position of support by the Portuguese vote,” RTP “announces Portugal’s non-participation in Eurovision 2026.”
“Portugal must correct its voting error and join the bloc of countries, like Spain, that refuse to whitewash the situation. It’s imperative to defend the dignity of national artists, respect for International Law, and the essence of the festival itself. Created in 1956 to promote peace and unity among peoples in a post-war period, Eurovision cannot serve as a stage to normalize war,” the document concludes.
Spain, Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia Announce Boycott
Unlike Portugal, several countries have already announced they will not participate in Eurovision as long as Israel is part of the event. Among them are Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia.
Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia have officially bid farewell to the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 after the General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) confirmed that Israel will participate in the event. Portugal, however, stands firm. What is known?
Daniela Filipe | 08:39 – 05/12/2025
Meanwhile, Israeli President Isaac Herzog celebrated the possibility of Israel competing in the contest, stating that the state “deserves to be represented on all the world’s stages.”
