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LONDON: Ireland will not take part in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is allowed to participate, Irish broadcaster RTE said on Thursday, arguing that doing so would be “unconscionable” because of the conflict in Gaza.
Recent editions of Eurovision have been overshadowed by opposition to Israel’s participation in the contest over its continuing military assault on Gaza, which has killed more than 64,000 people, according to local health authorities.
Israel has participated in Eurovision as a longtime member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises and co-produces the annual event.
Ireland’s RTE said a number of EBU members had raised concerns about Israel’s taking part during a meeting in July.
“RTE feels that Ireland’s participation would be unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza,” the broadcaster said in a statement.
Spain says Israel should be excluded from the contest in future
The EBU said it understood 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 Eurovision Song Contest,” director Martin Green said in an emailed statement.
“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.”
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”.
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 taken part in the contest since 1965 and won seven times, with only Sweden matching its record number of victories.
“It is RTE’s position that Ireland will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if the participation of Israel goes ahead,” it said in a statement. “RTE feels that Ireland’s participation would be unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza,” it added.
Ireland has won Eurovision seven times — more times than any other country.
A final decision would be taken when the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) makes a ruling on the matter, following concerns raised by several members at a general assembly in July, it said.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in May that Israel should be excluded in future. Noting that Russia had not been allowed to take part since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he said “Israel shouldn’t either because what we cannot allow is double standards in culture”.
Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2025
