Several countries have threatened to withdraw from the next edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, scheduled to take place in Austria next May, if Israel is allowed to participate. The organization stated it “understands concerns and opinions” about Israel but emphasized that “it is up to each member to decide” whether to participate.
In recent days, Ireland and the Netherlands joined Slovenia, Iceland, and Spain in calling on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to expel the Middle Eastern country due to the offensive in the Gaza Strip.
On Friday, the Dutch state broadcaster, AVOTROS, revealed it has been “holding regular meetings with the EBU and other European public broadcasters about the future and nature of the Eurovision Song Contest,” including the participation of “Israel under the current circumstances.”
“AVROTROS can no longer justify Israel’s participation given the severe and ongoing human suffering in Gaza,” the public broadcaster stated in a statement, highlighting that “there is evidence of Israeli government interference during the most recent edition of the Eurovision Song Contest.”
“The station has decided that AVROTROS’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will not be possible as long as Israel is admitted by the EBU. Should the EBU decide not to admit Israel, AVROTROS will gladly participate next year,” it announced.
The Netherlands’ decision mirrors the one announced by RTÉ, the public broadcaster of Ireland, which stated on Wednesday that the country “will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 if Israel’s participation is confirmed.”
“RTÉ believes Ireland’s participation would be inconceivable given the ongoing and terrible loss of life in Gaza. RTÉ is also deeply concerned about the selective assassination of journalists in Gaza, the denial of access for international journalists to the territory, and the situation of remaining hostages,” read the statement.
Last week, Slovenia’s public broadcaster, RTVLO, also announced it would only confirm participation in Eurovision when “it becomes clear whether the EBU will make any decision on Israel’s participation.”
“At the EBU General Assembly held in London at the beginning of July, RTV Slovenia expressed its position that should Israel participate in the Eurovision Song Contest due to the genocide in Gaza, it would not take part in the competition,” stated a statement disclosed on its website.
Iceland, on the other hand, has not yet made an official announcement on its position, but the Director-General of RÚV, the country’s public station, stated that withdrawal is “likely if there is no change in the EBU’s position.”
“I think it likely that if there is no change in the EBU’s position and it does not respond to these voices of concern coming from us, Spain, Slovenia, and others, there will have to be a response from these television stations,” said Stefán Eiríksson during a radio program in Iceland.
As for Spain, the possibility of not participating in the Eurovision Song Contest was raised by the country’s Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, who argued that “we cannot normalize the participation of Israel in international forums.”
“I don’t think we can normalize Israel’s participation in international forums as if nothing is happening,” the minister stated on RTVE’s program La Hora de La 1 on Monday.
“It’s RTVE’s decision, but what I can say is that if Israel participates and we can’t get it expelled, then measures such as the one you mentioned [withdrawal] will have to be taken,” he said.
And Portugal?
So far, the Portuguese public broadcaster RTP has not made any statement regarding its position on Israel’s participation. However, rumors are circulating in the Eurovision fan community that Portugal will be among the next countries to join the calls for the Middle Eastern country’s expulsion, and an announcement may be imminent.
It is known that RTP has announced the Festival da Canção 2026, without making any reference to the next Eurovision edition, unlike what it has done in recent years.
For example, last year, Portugal’s participation in the 69th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, held in Switzerland, was confirmed on August 14.
Notícias ao Minuto has already questioned RTP about its position regarding Israel’s participation in Eurovision and is awaiting a response.
Eurovision says “understands concerns and opinions” about Israel, but “it is up to each member to decide”
The Director of the Eurovision Song Contest, Martin Green, stated in a message to the news agency France-Presse (AFP) that he understands the “concerns and deeply rooted opinions around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.”
However, he emphasized that “broadcasters have until mid-December to confirm if they wish to participate in next year’s event in Vienna” and that “it is up to each member to decide if they want to participate.”
“We will respect any decision made by the broadcasters,” he said.
It should be noted that in this year’s edition, Israel was close to surpassing Austria in the Eurovision final, which won in the final moments. Austria, with JJ and ‘Wasted Love’, received a total of 436 points: 258 points from the jury and 178 points from the public. Meanwhile, Israel, with Yuval Raphael and ‘New Day Will Rise’, scored 357, distributed by 60 from the jury and 297 from the public.
Leia Também: Artista da Eurovisão boicota própria música até expulsão de Israel
