A demonstrator displays her hands painted in red to depict blood during an anti-government protest calling for action to secure the release of Israeli hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip by Palestinian militants since the 2023 October 7 attacks, outside the Israeli Defence Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv on August 2, 2025. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP)PEN Malta has condemned the European Broadcasting Union’s decision to allow Israel to compete in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, and called on the Maltese government to withdraw from the competition in protest.
The organisation expressed “profound outrage” at the EBU’s stance, accusing the broadcaster of applying double standards by permitting Israeli participation whilst having previously excluded Russia and Belarus for violations of international law.
“Culture is not a shield for impunity,” PEN Malta declared in a statement released this week. “The EBU cannot claim neutrality while enabling a state accused of systemic abuses to use one of Europe’s largest cultural platforms for image-laundering.”
The controversy stems from the EBU’s December 2025 General Assembly decision not to hold a separate vote on Israel’s exclusion, instead implementing rule changes to prevent government interference. The decision has prompted Ireland’s RTÉ, the Netherlands’ Avrotros, Spain’s RTVE, and Slovenia’s RTVSLO to boycott the 2026 contest.
The boycotting broadcasters were unified in their moral objections: Ireland’s RTÉ stated that its participation “remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there,” while the Dutch broadcaster Avrotros concluded that participation “cannot be reconciled with the public values that are fundamental to our organisation.” Slovenia’s RTVSLO likewise cited that taking part “would conflict with its values of peace, equality and respect.”
PEN Malta specifically cited “authoritative findings by UN bodies and international human rights organisations documenting grave breaches of international humanitarian and human rights law and possible genocide in Gaza and across the occupied Palestinian territory.”
The organisation appealed directly to prime minister Robert Abela to demonstrate leadership by joining the boycotting nations, arguing that Malta’s recent recognition of Palestinian statehood in September 2025 rings hollow without concrete action.
“Malta should not remain on the wrong side of this moment,” the statement continued. “Several European public broadcasters have already chosen to act according to the values on which Eurovision is supposed to stand.”
This moral stand, highlighted by Spain’s Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun, who stated, “You can’t whitewash Israel given the genocide in Gaza. Culture should be on the side of peace and justice. I’m proud of an RTVE that puts human rights before any economic interest,” starkly contrasts with Malta’s position.
However, culture minister Owen Bonnici previously confirmed Malta will maintain its participation, defending the decision by arguing that “culture should be that one safe space where dialogue could always occur.” Whilst acknowledging he “completely criticises the actions of the Israeli government” and agreed with UN findings, Bonnici insisted “the window of dialogue should always be open.”
Critics have accused the government of hypocrisy, noting the contradiction between its formal recognition of Palestine and condemnation of Israeli actions, whilst simultaneously allowing Israel to use Eurovision for what opponents term “artwashing,” projecting a positive international image despite alleged atrocities.
Spain’s national broadcaster, RTVE, also increased its “distrust of the festival’s organisation” after the EBU denied its request for a specific vote on Israel’s exclusion, further underscoring the divide between Malta’s continued participation and the principled withdrawal of its European counterparts.
The EBU maintains Eurovision is a non-political competition between public broadcasters, not governments, and that Israeli broadcaster KAN meets all membership requirements. Russia’s 2022 exclusion, the EBU argues, was based on state control of broadcasters and breaches of public service values, a situation they claim differs fundamentally from Israel’s case.
PEN Malta concluded: “Europe’s cultural institutions must not be complicit in silence.”
