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Iceland joins 4 different nations, together with Eire and Spain, in boycotting Eurovision 2026 as a consequence of Israel’s participation. The EBU allowed Israel to take part within the competitors regardless of requires its exclusion. Broadcasters comparable to RTVE and RUV have shared their causes for withdrawing from Eurovision 2026
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Iceland is the fifth nation to announce a boycott of Eurovision 2026, following the official resolution to incorporate Israel.
The nation will be part of Eire, Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands, which have additionally confirmed they’ll boycott the 2026 singing spectacle in Vienna as a consequence of Israel’s participation.
In a press release, Icelandic broadcaster RUV stated: “Participation of Israel’s nationwide broadcaster KAN within the competitors has created division amongst each the members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and most people.”
Israel’s participation within the competitors has been underneath dialogue for a while, with a number of nations calling for Israel’s exclusion given the present genocide in Gaza.
The final assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in Geneva selected Thursday that the nation can take part.
In the meantime, following the choice, the BBC stated it helps the ‘collective resolution’ to permit Israel to participate in subsequent 12 months’s Eurovision Tune Contest.
A BBC spokesperson stated of the choice: ‘We assist the collective resolution of members of the EBU.
‘That is about imposing the EBU’s guidelines and being inclusive.’
Who makes the selections on the Eurovision Tune Contest?
“A big majority of members agreed that no additional vote on participation was obligatory and that the Eurovision Tune Contest 2026 ought to go forward as deliberate, with the mandatory safeguards,” the EBU stated in a press release.
The EBU, a physique of public media organisations, has requested collaborating broadcasters to vote on the adjustments. These embody new guidelines to forestall nations from organizing campaigns for his or her actions.
This got here after Israeli singer Yuval Raphael acquired probably the most votes from the general public final Could, ending second after the jury votes.
In response to the BBC, which attended the summit on Thursday, agreeing to the rule adjustments meant agreeing to not go forward with a vote on whether or not Israel may compete.
The large 5 are the 5 nations (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK) which are assured to qualify for the grand closing. It is because their broadcasters make the biggest monetary contributions to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the group that organizes the competitors.
Spanish media have emphasised that the EBU has not truly voted on whether or not Israel ought to take part in a vital common assembly in Geneva.
The EBU solely put to the vote measures to forestall political interference and fraudulent votes, and as soon as adopted it understood that the matter had been settled.
By avoiding a dialogue about Israel’s place within the competitors, it was understood that the nation can be allowed to compete.
The Eurovision Tune Contest 2026 would be the seventieth version of the European present. It’s deliberate that this system will encompass two semi-finals and a closing in Could, held on the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria.
Wednesday was the final day for nations to resolve whether or not to hitch the boycott or not.
Which different nations are boycotting Eurovision 2026 and why?
After the choice was made, Dutch broadcaster Avrotros stated in a press release that “participation underneath the present circumstances is incompatible with the general public values ​​which are important to us.”
Spanish broadcaster RTVE added: ‘RTVE’s board of administrators agreed final September that Spain would withdraw from the Eurovision Tune Contest if Israel had been to be a part of it.
Why has there been a boycott?
Regardless of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) banning Russia following its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Israel remained within the lineup, main many to boycott the competitors.
The protests within the host metropolis of Malmö, Sweden, grew so uncontrolled in 2025 {that a} ban on the flag of any nation that didn’t take part – together with that of Palestine – was launched, a transfer they publicly backtracked on.
Many individuals really feel that excluding Russia, however not Israel, feels at odds with the Eurovision Tune Contest’s purpose of uniting individuals throughout borders and cultures.
The warfare in Gaza shouldn’t be the one cause for expulsion from the nation; allegations of unfair voting practices have additionally been made.
Broadcasters from Eire, Spain, Finland and plenty of different nations requested an investigation into the voting system after Israel inexplicably topped the general public vote.
The competitors’s director, Martin Inexperienced, advised the BBC that the vote had been checked and was certainly legitimate.
‘This withdrawal additionally signifies that RTVE is not going to broadcast the Eurovision 2026 closing… nor the preliminary semi-finals.’
RTE, Eire’s largest broadcaster, additionally introduced that Eire wouldn’t take part.
Quite a lot of different nations have adopted go well with, with RTV Slovenia saying that Belgium, Iceland and Slovenia is not going to take part.
Spain has been a part of the integral ‘large 5’ within the competitors and the nation’s resolution to not take part will imply that solely the ‘large 4’ will compete.
Which nations have confirmed that they’ll take part within the Eurovision Tune Contest?
Other than the 5 nations which have confirmed they’ll boycott, it’s believed that the remaining nations (35) will compete as normal.
Notable nations which have reaffirmed their participation after hypothesis embody Poland.
Polish broadcaster TVP wrote that they’re “conscious of the extent of pressure surrounding the upcoming version” and “perceive the feelings and issues.”
They added: ‘Nonetheless, we consider that Eurovision nonetheless has an opportunity to develop into an area filled with music once more. And simply music. We, just like the overwhelming majority of EBU members, supply this chance.’
Italian broadcaster RAI additionally confirmed “its want to strengthen Italy’s position in selling music, tradition and leisure internationally” by supporting Israel’s inclusion.
International locations comparable to Belgium, Estonia and Georgia have additionally reiterated their resolution to stay within the competitors after session.
It’s understood that Canada has expressed curiosity in participating within the 2026 competitors. Different nations, Kosovo, Liechtenstein and Kazakhstan, have been denied entry to subsequent 12 months’s competitors.
The Eurovision Tune Contest has confirmed that participation prices is not going to be affected by the withdrawals.
A model of this text was first printed on December 4, 2025.
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