Eurovision 2026: Ireland's Broadcaster Says It Won't Return If Israel Stays In Competition

Israeli singer Yuval Raphael at this year's Eurovision red carpet launchIrish broadcaster RTÉ has become the latest to say it will not return to Eurovision in 2026 if Israel remains part of the competition.The involvement of Israel in Eurovision has long been a contentious subject because of the political situation in the Middle East, but the debate has become much more widespread in the last two years, leading many fans to boycott the event completely due to the country’s continued presence, while several participating broadcasters have raised concerns about the situation in recent history.Over the summer, discussions took place among the competition’s participating broadcasters about whether Israel should remain part of the contest despite the ongoing conflict in Gaza, with the conversation due to be revisited in the coming months.In the last week, Slovenia’s broadcaster has 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.Following this, Iceland’s own national broadcaster said there was a question mark over its future involvement should Israel be invited back, while Spain’s minister for culture called for the country to withdraw from Eurovision should Israel remain part of it.On Thursday afternoon, a spokesperson for RTÉ said (as reported by BBC News): “It is RTÉ’s position that Ireland will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, if the participation of Israel goes ahead, and the final decision regarding Ireland’s participation will be made once the EBU’s decision is made.“RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation would be unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza. RTÉ is also deeply concerned by the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza, the denial of access to international journalists to the territory, and the plight of the remaining hostages.”Bambie Thug gave Ireland its highest Eurovision placement in 24 years during last year's eventIreland has been a significant presence at Eurovision over the years, currently sharing the joint record for the most number of wins with Sweden, on seven each, and is the only country to have won three years running.Last week, Eurovision’s director Martin Green issued a statement to HuffPost UK which read: “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.”A large number of former contestants and acts associated with the competition – as well as reigning champion JJ from Austria and last year’s winner Nemo from Switzerland, who shared their take on the matter during a recent exclusive interview with HuffPost UK – have also called for Israel’s expulsion from Eurovision in recent history.Austrian performer JJ won Eurovision earlier thisyearConversely, it was previously reported that the broadcasters for Germany and Italy – who are among the “Big Five” countries who contribute the most to Eurovision financially, alongside the UK, France and Spain – had threatened to pull out of the contest next year if Israel is not permitted to return.A rep for Germany’s Südwestrundfunk (SWR) told HuffPost UK: “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.”MORE EUROVISION:More Countries Cast Doubt On Eurovision Return Amid Controversy Over Israel's InvolvementReigning Eurovision Winner JJ Calls For Israel To Be Removed From The ContestRemember Monday Speak Out About Getting Zero Points From Eurovision Viewers

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