By Sharon Zhang

This article was originally published by Truthout

Advocates denounced contest organizers for “helping to enable and whitewash Israel’s ongoing genocide.”

Four countries have announced that they are boycotting the Eurovision Song Contest in 2026 because of the organizers’ much-criticized decision to allow Israel to continue participating in the competition, despite its genocide.

Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands are pulling out of the competition for next year, after the body behind the competition, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), refused to hold a vote on barring Israel on Thursday.

In a statement, the EBU said that “all EBU members who wish to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 and agree to comply with the new rules are eligible to take part.”

The dissenting countries’ broadcasters cited Israel’s genocide in Gaza as their reason for boycotting.

Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTÉ, said it felt “participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk.”

Spanish national broadcaster TRVE said the vote “confirms that Eurovision is not a song contest but a festival dominated by geopolitical interests and fractured.” Spain is one of Eurovision’s “Big Five” countries allowed an automatic spot in the final because they represent EBU’s largest financial contributors.

Advocates for Palestinian rights have long called for Israel to be banned from Eurovision and other international events like the World Cup, saying that failures to enforce a cultural boycott of Israel only lends it more legitimacy.

“We welcome the European broadcasters heeding our call and boycotting Eurovision rather than participate alongside genocidal Israel,” said the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) in a statement. 

“By helping to enable and whitewash Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, Eurovision organisers the EBU are presiding over what is already the most disastrous edition of the contest ever,” PACBI went on. Advocates have called for other countries to join the boycott.

Indeed, Israeli officials emphasized the importance for Israel’s global standing in celebrating the decision. “Israel deserves to be represented on every stage around the world,” said Israeli President Isaac Herzog. “I hope that the competition will remain one that champions culture, music, friendship between nations, and cross-border cultural understanding.”

Instead of a vote to bar Israel, the EBU adopted rules aimed at stopping governments from swaying the competition’s results — after allegations last year that Israel manipulated the vote when Israeli government officials encouraged backers to submit 20 votes in their favor. Many observers cried foul, and Israel’s performer, Yuval Raphael, finished in second despite receiving far lower marks from Eurovision’s expert juries.

The Intercept also reported that, during the competition in 2024, Eurovision seemed to have muted audience members booing and someone shouting “free Palestine” during the performance by Israel’s entrant in the live broadcast.

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