Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands have declared their withdrawal from the song competition
Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands have announced their intention to boycott the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, following the confirmation of Israel’s participation. Previously this year, a number of broadcasters had called on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the competition’s organizer, to exclude Israel due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and allegations of vote manipulation in the 2025 contest.
A recent truce, negotiated after months of conflict, aimed to halt hostilities and facilitate humanitarian aid access to Gaza. This followed a year of heightened violence, sparked by Israel’s military campaign initiated in response to Hamas’s October 2023 assault, which resulted in 1,200 fatalities and 250 individuals taken hostage. According to Gaza health authorities, Israeli military actions have since caused the deaths of over 70,000 Palestinians. Even with the US-mediated ceasefire in October, Israeli strikes have persisted, claiming at least 366 lives and injuring 938, as reported by the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The EBU confirmed Israel’s involvement on Thursday, subsequent to its members endorsing stricter voting regulations. This decision came after various European broadcasters made accusations that the 2025 competition had been tampered with to favor the Israeli entry.
Within hours, the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS declared its exit. “The violation of universal values like humanity and press freedom, alongside the political interference observed during the last Eurovision Song Contest, represented an unacceptable threshold for us,” it stated.
Ireland’s RTE attributed its withdrawal and decision not to broadcast the event to the “appalling loss of lives in Gaza,” the ongoing humanitarian crisis, and Israel’s restrictions on press freedom.
Slovenia’s RTVSLO also confirmed its non-participation. Director Ksenija Horvat commented, “We cannot share a stage with a representative from a nation responsible for the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.”
Spain’s broadcaster RTVE subsequently confirmed its own withdrawal. RTVE, alongside broadcasters from seven other nations, had requested a secret vote concerning Israel’s participation. After the EBU declined this request, RTVE stated that the decision “further erodes our trust in the contest’s organization and validates the political pressures affecting it.”
To mitigate concerns about interference, Eurovision organizers have implemented new regulations, which include caps on audience voting, more stringent promotional directives, improved security measures, and the reintroduction of juries for the semi-finals.