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  "path": "/celebrity/eurovision-boycott-2026-full-list-countries-israel",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-16T04:00:01.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "among the first to withdraw.",
    "Former UK Eurovision star shares true feelings on Look Mum No Computer entry: 'Not my cup of tea!'",
    "Roy Chubby Brown fans to boycott theatre for BANNING comedian’s show over ‘inclusion’ concerns",
    "Matthew Perry's drug supplier handed prison sentence over actor’s ketamine death",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nFive countries have officially boycotted Eurovision 2026 over Israel’s inclusion in this year’s contest, marking the largest coordinated withdrawal from the competition in more than five decades.\n\nThe Eurovision Song Contest, taking place in Vienna, Austria, has become engulfed in controversy after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) approved Israeli broadcaster Kan’s participation despite mounting pressure from several national broadcasters to ban the country over the war in Gaza.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nSpain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland have all pulled out of the competition, with some broadcasters also refusing to air the event entirely.\n\nThe walkouts followed accusations that the EBU had ignored concerns from member broadcasters and failed to put Israel’s participation to a direct vote.\n\nSpain’s broadcaster RTVE, one of Eurovision’s influential Big Five financial contributors, was among the first to withdraw.\n\nRTVE president José Pablo López said: “As joint organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest, we share a collective responsibility.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\"While Israel has regularly participated in the competition, the current events and the genocide currently taking place make it impossible for us to look the other way. It is not accurate to claim that Eurovision is merely an apolitical music festival.\n\n\"We are all aware that the contest carries significant political implications. The Israeli government is equally aware of this fact and leverages the event on the international stage.”\n\nIrish broadcaster RTÉ also confirmed it would not participate if Israel remained in the contest.\n\nIn a statement, RTÉ said: \"RTÉ will not participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, nor will RTÉ broadcast the competition.\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * Former UK Eurovision star shares true feelings on Look Mum No Computer entry: 'Not my cup of tea!' - **EXCLUSIVE**\n  * Roy Chubby Brown fans to boycott theatre for BANNING comedian’s show over ‘inclusion’ concerns\n  * Matthew Perry's drug supplier handed prison sentence over actor’s ketamine death\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\"RTÉ feels that Ireland’s 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.\n\n\"RTÉ remains deeply concerned by the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza during the conflict and the continued denial of access to international journalists to the territory.\"\n\nThe Netherlands’ broadcaster Avrotros similarly cited humanitarian concerns in Gaza.\n\nIn its statement, the broadcaster blamed Israel for \"the severe humanitarian suffering in Gaza, the suppression of press freedom, and the political interference during the last Eurovision Song Contest\", adding that those three points \"are incompatible\" with its fundamental values.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nAvrotros also referenced “the deliberate exclusion of independent international reporting and the many casualties among journalists”.\n\nMeanwhile, Icelandic broadcaster RÚV became the final nation to officially pull out before the EBU’s December 2025 participation deadline.\n\nIn a statement, RÚV said in part: \"Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) has decided not to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria next year.\n\n\"The participation of the Israeli public broadcaster Kan in the contest has recently caused disunity, both among the member stations of the European Broadcasting Union, EBU, and the public.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe statement appeared to reference Russia’s exclusion from Eurovision following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.\n\nSlovenia’s broadcaster RTV Slovenia has gone even further by refusing to air the contest altogether.\n\nRTV Slovenia director Ksenija Horvat said: “We will not be broadcasting the Eurovision Song Contest.\n\n\"We will be airing the film series Voices of Palestine, featuring Palestinian documentaries and feature films.”\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe backlash follows continued scrutiny surrounding Israel’s Eurovision involvement in recent years.\n\nLast year, Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael won the public vote despite wider controversy surrounding the competition.\n\nThe EBU has continued defending Israel’s inclusion, maintaining that Eurovision remains a non-political event despite mounting pressure from broadcasters, artists and fans calling for the country’s exclusion.\n\nIsrael has repeatedly denied accusations of genocide in Gaza.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Who has boycotted Eurovision 2026? Full list of countries that ditched Song Contest over Israel"
}