Ireland to Withdraw from Eurovision 2026 if Israel Joins the Contest

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Key Points

The Irish broadcaster RTE has stated that Ireland will refrain from entering Eurovision 2026 if Israel is permitted to join.
Organisers of Eurovision are still assessing how to handle participation and geopolitical challenges.
Both the Eurovision 2025 victor JJ and the president of Spain have advocated for Israel’s exclusion from the contest.

Ireland will withdraw from the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is permitted to join, according to Irish broadcaster RTE, asserting that participation would be “unthinkable” due to the Gaza conflict.

The recent Eurovision contests have faced criticism over Israel’s involvement due to its ongoing military operations in Gaza, which local health officials report have resulted in over 64,000 deaths.

Hostilities in Gaza intensified following an October 2023 assault by Hamas in southern Israel, which led to 1,200 deaths and the capture of 251 hostages, according to Israeli statistics.

Israel has been a consistent participant in Eurovision as part of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which coordinates and helps produce the yearly competition.

RTE has noted that multiple EBU members expressed unease about Israel’s participation during a discussion in July.

“RTE believes Ireland’s involvement would be inconceivable given the severe and tragic loss of life in Gaza,” stated the broadcaster in an announcement.

Organisers ‘consulting’ on geopolitical tensions

The EBU said it understood the “concerns and deeply held views around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East”.

EBU director Martin Green said in an emailed statement: “We are still consulting with all EBU members to gather views on how we manage participation and geopolitical tensions around the Eurovision Song Contest.”

“Broadcasters have until mid-December to declare if they will partake in next year’s event in Vienna. Membership allows each broadcaster the choice to participate, and we respect any decision they reach.”

RTE said it was also deeply concerned by “the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza, and the denial of access to international journalists to the territory, and the plight of the remaining hostages”.

Israel has denied targeting journalists in the enclave.

A final decision about Ireland’s participation in the 2026 competition will be made once the EBU makes its own decision on Israel, RTE said.

Ireland has participated in the contest since 1965 and won seven times, with only Sweden matching its record number of victories.