Another Country Has Now Said It Will Quit Eurovision If Israel Is Invited Back In 2026

Yuval Raphael, who represented Israel at Eurovision in 2025The Netherlands has become the third country to explicitly say it will not compete at Eurovision in 2026 if Israel remains part of the event.Debate around Israel’s involvement in the Eurovision Song Contest has been going on some time now due to the political situation in the Middle East.However, the debate has become much more widespread in the last two years, leading many fans to boycott the event completely in 2024 and 2025 due to Israel’s continued presence, while several participating broadcasters have raised concerns about the situation in recent history.Last week, Slovenia’s national broadcaster said it will only return to Eurovision in 2026 if Israel is banned, similarly to how Russia has not been invited to take part in the competition since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.Ireland followed suit earlier this week, with Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS releasing its own statement on Thursday.Dutch singer Claude represented The Netherlands at Eurovision in 2025“AVROTROS can no longer justify Israel’s participation in the current situation, given the ongoing and severe human suffering in Gaza,” they began.“Furthermore, the broadcaster expresses grave concern about the serious violation of press freedom: the deliberate exclusion of independent international reporting and the numerous casualties among journalists.″[There has also been] proven interference by the Israeli government during the last edition of the Song Contest, with the event being used as a political instrument. This contradicts the apolitical nature of the Song Contest. These circumstances conflict with the values that AVROTROS represents as a public broadcaster.”″[We have therefore] decided that AVROTROS’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will not be possible as long as Israel remains admitted by the EBU,” they concluded. “If the EBU decides not to admit Israel, AVROTROS will be happy to participate next year. Pending that decision, all preparations are continuing as usual.”Last week, Eurovision’s director Martin Green told HuffPost UK: “We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. We are still consulting with all EBU Members to gather views on how we manage participation and geopolitical tensions around the Song Contest.“Broadcasters have until mid-December to confirm if they wish to take part in next year’s event in Vienna. It is up to each Member to decide if they want to take part in the Contest and we would respect any decision broadcasters make.”Discussions took place among the competition’s participating broadcasters over the summer regarding whether or not Israel should remain part of the contest despite the ongoing conflict in Gaza, with the conversation due to be revisited in the coming months.Since then, Icelandic broadcaster RÚV has already said it is “likely” that if the EBU chooses to keep Israel at Eurovision, they will not be part of it.Meanwhile, Spain’s minister for culture Ernest Urtasun recently called for the country to withdraw from Eurovision if Israel stays.Urtasun told La Hora De La 1: “I don’t think we can normalise Israel’s participation in international events as if nothing is happening. Events like Eurovision [bring] a certain representation of a country. In Eurovision’s case, it is not an individual artist who participates but someone who participates on behalf of that country’s citizens.”The Spanish prime minister has previously supported Israel being banned from the event, too.Austrian singer JJ is the current reigning Eurovision championIt seems not every country is on the same page, though.Numerous news outlets claimed in July that the national broadcasters for Germany and Italy had threatened to pull out of Eurovision if Israel is not permitted to return to the event in 2026.A spokesperson for Germany’s Südwestrundfunk (SWR) subsequently told HuffPost UK: “The Eurovision Song Contest is a major musical event that has brought people across Europe and beyond together for decades—diverse and respectful, regardless of origin, religion, or belief.“The ESC is a music competition organised by EBU broadcasters, not governments. The Israeli broadcaster KAN adheres to applicable regulations and has been an integral part of the music competition for more than 60 years. We affirm their membership and the core values of the ESC.“We welcome the process initiated by EBU Director General Noel Curran. A former senior TV executive will engage in a structured, open dialogue with the members over the coming months to explore various perspectives and identify courses of action. The goal should be a well-founded and sustainable solution in line with the EBU’s values.”HuffPost UK also contacted Italy’s RAI but did not receive a response.Spain, Germany and Italy all form part of Eurovision’s “Big Five” (alongside the UK and France), who contribute the most financially to the competition, and are therefore guaranteed spots in the final without having to take part in earlier stages of the contest.On Friday, the BBC declined to comment when contacted by HuffPost UK about whether it had any plans in place for if Israel either was or was not invited to compete in 2026.MORE EUROVISION:Ireland's Broadcaster Says It Will Not Compete In Eurovision Next Year If Israel ReturnsReigning Eurovision Winner JJ Calls For Israel To Be Removed From The ContestEurovision Speaks Out Amid Outcry Over Viral Clip Of Security's 'Aggression' Towards Protester

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