Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands have announced that they are withdrawing from the song contest
Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands have said they will boycott the next Eurovision Song Contest after Israel was cleared to take part. Earlier this year, several broadcasters urged contest organizers the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to bar Israel over alleged vote-rigging and the war in Gaza.
The latest US-brokered truce in the conflict was intended to pause the hostilities and allow humanitarian aid into the enclave, but continued Israeli attacks have killed 366 people since it was imposed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
This followed a year of escalating violence after Israel launched its military operation in response to Hamas’ October 2023 attack, which killed 1,200 people and led to 250 being taken hostage. The Israeli operation has since killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, according to the local health authorities.
The responses came on Thursday, after the EBU approved tougher voting rules. The move followed allegations by several European broadcasters that the 2025 contest was manipulated to boost the Israeli contestant. (more...)
Four EU states to boycott Eurovision 2026 over Israel’s participation
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