— Several European public broadcasters announced on Thursday that they will not participate in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) decided not to suspend Israel’s entry. Spain’s RTVE, Ireland’s RTÉ, the Netherlands’ AVROTROS and Slovenia’s public broadcaster said they will withdraw from the Vienna contest in May, the event slated to mark Eurovision’s 70th edition. The withdrawals follow growing protest over Israel’s continued inclusion after its military operations in Gaza that began after the Hamas-led attacks in 2023. The EBU’s decision to leave Israel’s participation unchanged prompted the immediate statements from the four broadcasters.
Key Takeaways
- RTVE (Spain), RTÉ (Ireland), AVROTROS (Netherlands) and Slovenia’s public broadcaster announced they will not send delegations to Eurovision in Vienna in May 2026 following the EBU vote.
- The EBU meeting on Dec. 4, 2025 reaffirmed Israel’s eligibility to compete; Spain said its request for a vote to suspend Israel was not approved.
- RTÉ called participation alongside Israel “unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there,” citing civilian casualties and displacement.
- AVROTROS’s chief executive, Taco Zimmerman, said culture unites “but not at all costs,” signaling a principled cultural boycott rather than a logistical withdrawal.
- Israel has participated in Eurovision since 1973 and has won the contest four times (1978, 1979, 1998, 2018); its broadcaster KAN remains an EBU member.
- The contest’s planned host city, Vienna, faces logistical and reputational uncertainty as broadcasters withdraw ahead of the 70th edition.
- The EBU faces pressure from member broadcasters and civil society groups on both sides, raising governance and neutrality questions for pan-European institutions.
Background
Israel has competed in the Eurovision Song Contest since 1973 because its public broadcaster is a member of the European Broadcasting Union, which governs eligibility rather than geography. Over five decades, Israel has become one of the contest’s most prominent participants, accumulating four victories in 1978, 1979, 1998 and 2018. Eurovision aims to be apolitical in rules, forbidding overtly political lyrics and staging, but member broadcasters often bring national political perspectives to decisions about participation.
The current controversy traces to Israel’s military operations in Gaza that began after Hamas-led attacks in October 2023. As the humanitarian situation in Gaza drew international attention, calls grew among some EBU members and public audiences for Israel’s suspension from cultural events. The EBU, which balances the competing priorities of artistic freedom and member consensus, held a meeting on Dec. 4, 2025 to consider requests related to Israel’s place in next year’s contest.
Main Event
At the EBU meeting on Dec. 4, 2025, the organization left Israel’s participation unchanged, declining to remove or suspend KAN from the contest roster. That decision immediately prompted resignations from several delegations: RTVE issued a statement saying it had requested a formal vote on suspension and would withdraw after the motion failed, while RTÉ described participation as incompatible with its public-service remit amid the Gaza humanitarian crisis.
The Netherlands’ AVROTROS and Slovenia’s public broadcaster also confirmed they would not attend the Vienna event in May. AVROTROS chief executive Taco Zimmerman framed the choice as a cultural line the broadcaster was unwilling to cross. Organizers in Vienna declined to comment on whether the host city’s plans would be altered if a larger number of delegations pulled out.
EBU officials emphasized their mandate to keep the contest non-political and to apply rules consistently to all members, but they also acknowledged the reputational strain and internal dissent. KAN, Israel’s public broadcaster, remains an EBU member and has prepared to take part under the existing regulations; Yuval Raphael, Israel’s 2025 act, had been the public face of the country’s recent presence in the contest.
Analysis & Implications
The withdrawals expose a tension at the heart of pan-European cultural institutions: how to reconcile rules designed to separate art from politics with profound, ongoing geopolitical crises. Public broadcasters are funded and governed domestically, and they answer to national parliaments, audiences and civil society; that makes them sensitive to domestic political pressure and moral claims that may not align with an intergovernmental body’s interpretation of neutrality.
If more broadcasters follow Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia, the contest’s legitimacy and symbolic value will be affected. Eurovision has historically depended on broad participation to maintain its claim as a continental cultural event. A significant boycott could reduce television audiences, sponsorship, and the perceived inclusiveness that underpins the contest’s soft-power value.
There are also institutional risks for the EBU. Repeated disputes over membership and political positions could force the union to clarify its statutes, membership criteria and dispute-resolution mechanisms. That process would require legal, political and diplomatic negotiation among diverse members, with potential consequences for funding and cooperation across other EBU activities (news exchanges, technical services, and sports rights).
Comparison & Data
| Item | Key figures |
|---|---|
| Israel in Eurovision | Entered: 1973; Wins: 4 (1978, 1979, 1998, 2018) |
| Broadcasters withdrawing (Dec. 4, 2025) | Spain (RTVE), Ireland (RTÉ), Netherlands (AVROTROS), Slovenia (RTVSLO) |
| Planned contest | 70th edition, Vienna, May 2026 |
The table above summarizes participation history and the immediate scope of the boycott as of Dec. 4, 2025. While Israel’s competitive record is factual and long-standing, the scale of the boycott is fluid and could change if additional broadcasters announce similar decisions or if the EBU reopens its deliberations.
Reactions & Quotes
“Participating in Eurovision alongside Israel is unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there.”
RTÉ (Ireland public broadcaster)
RTÉ framed its withdrawal as a moral judgment linked to the humanitarian situation in Gaza rather than a critique of the contest’s rules.
“Culture unites, but not at all costs.”
Taco Zimmerman, Chief Executive, AVROTROS (Netherlands public broadcaster)
AVROTROS’s statement signaled a principle-based cultural boycott intended to align the broadcaster’s programming decisions with its public-service obligations and audience expectations.
RTVE said it had requested a vote on suspension of Israel that was not approved and therefore would not take part in next year’s contest.
RTVE (Spain public broadcaster)
RTVE’s release emphasized institutional procedure — a requested vote — as the proximate cause of its withdrawal.
Unconfirmed
- Whether additional EBU members will announce withdrawals in the days or weeks after Dec. 4, 2025 remains uncertain and could alter the contest’s scale.
- Whether the EBU will reopen or reconvene a vote on Israel’s participation is unconfirmed; the organization has not announced any immediate procedural changes.
- Potential legal or contractual consequences for broadcasters that withdraw (forfeited fees, sponsorship adjustments, or EBU sanctions) have not been publicly detailed and remain unclear.
Bottom Line
The withdrawals by RTVE, RTÉ, AVROTROS and Slovenia’s public broadcaster mark a notable fracture between national public broadcasters and the EBU’s approach to membership rules. This dispute is as much about institutional authority and public-service accountability as it is about a single country’s presence on the Eurovision stage. The EBU’s capacity to manage diverging member expectations will determine whether the contest can remain a broadly inclusive European event.
Observers should watch three developments: announcements by additional broadcasters, any formal EBU procedural changes, and Vienna organizers’ response to a potentially reduced field. Each will shape whether next May’s contest proceeds largely as planned or becomes a focal point for broader cultural and political contention in Europe.