The Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia, and Spain have withdrawn from Eurovision 2026 after Israel was confirmed to compete in the contest in May.
This comes after a vote was held at the EBU’s General Assembly on Thursday, 4 December, over the new rules that organisers had proposed for the contest.
Leaked images of the voting results showed that 738 votes were cast in favour of accepting the rule changes and not moving forward with a separate vote on Israel’s participation in the contest.
Of the 1122 votes cast, 264 voted against the measure and 120 abstained.
The Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia and Spain have withdrawn due to Israel’s genocide in Gaza, which a UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory stated:
“The responsibility for these atrocity crimes lies with Israeli authorities at the highest echelons who have orchestrated a genocidal campaign for almost two years now with the specific intent to destroy the Palestinian group in Gaza,”
In a statement Dutch AVROTROS stated:
“AVROTROS has decided not to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2026. This decision follows a careful and extensive deliberation process in which we consulted a broad range of stakeholders: from the Israeli ambassador to Amnesty International, from the EBU to several European public broadcasters, as well as our own Association Council, Works Council, Supervisory Board, and the many thousands of Eurovision fans who reached out to us.
After weighing all perspectives, AVROTROS concludes that, under the current circumstances, participation cannot be reconciled with the public values that are fundamental to our organisation. This decision was taken in close coordination with the Dutch Public Broadcasting (NPO), which respects and supports the conclusions we have drawn.
Review of the Process
On 12 September 2025, AVROTROS noted that the severe humanitarian suffering in Gaza, the restrictions on press freedom, and the political interference surrounding the most recent edition of the Eurovision Song Contest were incompatible with the values we stand for. In that context, AVROTROS concluded that participation by the Israeli broadcaster KAN in this year could no longer be aligned with our responsibilities as a public broadcaster. Reliability, independence, and humanity are our guiding principles.
EBU Response and Developments
The EBU has acknowledged that political interference occurred during the previous edition and has announced additional measures to prevent a recurrence.
However, these measures do not alter what happened during the last contest. Today, the General Assembly decided that Israel will be allowed to participate in 2026.
At the same time, the meeting made clear that concerns about the neutrality and apolitical character of the Eurovision Song Contest remain significant among several European public broadcasters.
Conclusion
What unfolded over the past year, including the infringement of universal values such as humanity, press freedom, but also the political interference that occurred during the previous edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, crossed a boundary for us.
That remains decisive for AVROTROS, regardless of the steps taken since. Additionally, the situation in Gaza remains extremely fragile and deeply concerning. At this moment, it is simply too early to speak of a substantial, stable improvement that would allow us to participate in the Song Contest in a way that aligns with our values.”
Taco Zimmerman, General Director of AVROTROSasssssssssssssss, stated:
“This has not been an easy decision, nor one taken lightly. The Eurovision Song Contest is of great importance to us. Culture unites, but not at any price.
What has happened over the past year has tested the limits of what we can uphold. Universal values such as humanity and press freedom have been seriously compromised, and for us, these values are non-negotiable.
As a public broadcaster, we have a responsibility to remain true to our core values, even when that is difficult or sensitive”
Irish broadcaster RTÉ stated:
“Following today’s EBU Winter General Assembly in Geneva at which Israel’s participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest was confirmed, RTÉ’s position remains unchanged.
RTÉ will not participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, nor will RTÉ broadcast the competition.
RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk.
RTÉ remains deeply concerned by the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza during the conflict and the continued denial of access to international journalists to the territory.”.
Natalija Gorščak, Board Chairwoman of the Slovenian RTSVSLO, stated at the general assembly:
“Our journalists were not and still are not allowed to enter Gaza, where more than 200 journalists were killed. Last year we saw that the Israeli performance was political.
Don’t forget that we banned a similar performance by a Russian singer in Ukraine. In 2016, we opened Pandora’s box in Stockholm when a political song won, and since then we have been fighting against politics in Eurovision.
For the third year in a row, the public has demanded that we say no to the participation of any country that attacks another country. We must follow European standards for peace and understanding.
Eurovision has been a place for joy and happiness from the very beginning, performers and audiences were united by music, and it should remain that way.
Our message is: we will not participate in Eurovision if Israel is there. In the name of the 20,000 children who died in Gaza”
RTVE in a press release stated:
“RTVE has announced Spain’s withdrawal from the Eurovision Song Contest following the votes held today in Geneva at the 95th EBU General Assembly, which resulted in Israel remaining in the European music competition.
The RTVE Board of Directors agreed last September that Spain would withdraw from Eurovision if Israel participated.
The withdrawal from the Festival also means that RTVE will not broadcast the Eurovision 2026 final , which will be held in Vienna (Austria) on May 16, nor the previous semi-finals of the contest, which will take place on the 12th and 14th.
RTVE, along with seven other countries, has formally requested a secret ballot at the Assembly. The EBU presidency has denied RTVE’s request for a specific vote on Israel’s participation.
This decision increases RTVE’s distrust of the festival’s organization and confirms the political pressure surrounding it.”
In his address to the General Assembly before the vote, RTVE Secretary General Alfonso Morales stated:
“”We would like to express our serious doubts about the participation of Israeli broadcaster KAN in Eurovision 2026. The situation in Gaza, despite the ceasefire and the approval of the peace process, and Israel’s use of the contest for political purposes, make it increasingly difficult to maintain Eurovision as a neutral cultural event.”
We are yet to hear from any other broadcasters about withdrawals, but we will keep you updated.
