4 countries to boycott Eurovision due to Israel’s continued inclusion

[Everexpanding]

In a statement released on Thursday afternoon, the Dutch broadcaster Avrotros said it would also withdraw from next year’s contest. “After weighing all perspectives, Avrotros concludes that, under the current circumstances, participation cannot be reconciled with the public values that are fundamental to our organisation.”

The Slovenian national broadcaster, RTVSLO – the first to threaten a boycott this summer – said participation “would conflict with its values of peace, equality and respect”.

Spain’s culture minister, Ernest Urtasun, backed the decision, adding: “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

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,” the broadcaster said in a statement.

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/dec/04/ireland-spain-and-the-netherlands-to-boycott-eurovision-2026-as-israel-cleared-to-compete

Israel has competed in Eurovision since 1973 , why did these antisemitic countries only start complaining in the last two years I wonder??

Oh very far back. According to some.

Several antisrmitic countries who are fully entitled to compete don't compete AT ALL because Israel takes part. This is not a new thing. The reason other countries are doing it is because the war has enabled them to break cover as it has for so many. Antisemitism has now been mainstreamed and is acceptable again.

Unfortunately not the past;

”More than a month after a ceasefire was announced and all living Israeli hostages were released, Israeli authorities are still committing genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip, by continuing to deliberately inflict conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction, without signalling any change in their intent, said Amnesty International today.”

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/11/israels-genocide-against-palestinians-in-gaza-continues-unabated-despite-ceasefire/

So they waited and competed against them for 50 years just so when Israel started murdering tens of thousands of civilians they could "break cover" and try get them banned to be antisemitic.

Right.

Spain has never been a friend to Jews. According to MI5,* Spain was nominally neutral during World War II, though under General Franco's far-right Nationalist regime it was politically aligned with Nazi Germany. Spain did not actually join the Axis side but it collaborated with the Nazis in many areas.*

Germany has moved on from their hostility to Jews but Spain apparently hasn't. So they've jumped on the bandwagon of boycotting Eurovision.

Some people believe it to be antisemitic. Other people believe that sanctions can and do work @SharonEllis. I think you have advocated that sanctions worked against South Africa, against Russia etc. And yet you are now getting upset because some countries have sanctioned against Israel. I wonder why?

Very proud of Ireland for standing against genocide. First European country to ban apartheid Sputh African products in the 80s. Israel should br treated as the pariah state it is.

Playing the long game!

I'm Irish and can't say I've ever watched the Eurovision as an adult but I'm all for boycotts as a peaceful means of protest.

If they want to withdraw that is their choice. I don’t agree with them but it’s their choice so not an issue

I doubt Ireland will be particularly missed as they didn't even make it to the final last year and the year before they inflicted the execrable Bambie Thug upon us all. Although Israel might miss their votes this time- last year Ireland awarded them 7 juror points and 10 televote points in the final. Strange way to demonstrate Ireland's apparently unanimous disapproval of Israel.

Yes I participated in sanctions against south africa (do you keep notes on posters? I can assure you I don't track your posts). No I don't advocate for sanctions against Israel as I believe BDS is morally inconsistent and antisemitic and I would not dream of arguiing for the weakening of the world's only Jewish state in the face of assured destruction by its enemies. Regardless of what I may think of its current government.

Exactly. A fascist state until 1975 that from then until now has an official policy of "forgetting" [where the bodies are, where the birth records of removed children are] isn't in any great shape to go telling anyone else how to behave. Speaking of disappearing kiddies, let's have a look at Ireland, shall we?

Well it obviously isnt a pariah state. It literally has not been cast out of Eurovision. Pariah means it is an outcast. Its not an aspiration.

I have an exceptional memory. Sorry. It worked for South Africa. They finally changed their mind. Is Marwan Barghouti going to become the new Nelson Mandela?

Yes, lets talk about the way Ireland treated babies and their mothers, for years and years, and the history of cover up and denial.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54693159.

No, however many luvvies try to equate the two. Its a disgraceful comparison.

Oh, why? More disgraceful than comparing Benjamin to Pol Pot? You live in a funny world.

Why are you acting like this is a new information gotcha.
It is talked about extensively in Ireland , something that's disgusts people.

Is it worse than murdering 20000 children in two years, I wouldn't think so personally.

Pathetic. At least now Spain won't cover themselves in ridicule like last year

The word clutching comes to mind

Don't you mean it's a strange way to demonstrate their antisemitism that posters here are convinced is the reason behind the boycott?

Clutching. For sure.

Sanctions may have had some effect on apartheid but the economy there blew apart much earlier when it couldn't service its debts. That led to disinvestment then further precarity which in turn galvanised the agents who were already working for social change. But the big economic effect kick was politically neutral - it didn't make sense to lend them any more money because they were obviously fucking it all up. And those decisions happened way before any boycotts.

Good.