After Spain, Ireland. This Thursday, September 11, the Irish Public Audiovisual Group announced that Ireland would not participate in the 2026 Edition of Eurovision in Vienna if Israel maintained its candidacy, to denounce the situation in Gaza.
“Ireland’s participation would be inconceivable given the terrible and persistent human losses in Gaza,” or the “murders of journalists,” said the broadcaster in a statement, responsible for the country’s candidacy for the competition.
“RTE’s position is that Ireland will not participate in the Eurovision Song 2026 competition if Israel’s participation is maintained,” he said.
The final decision will be taken once the organizer of the event, the European Radio-Television (UER) Union, will communicate on Israel’s participation later in the year, RTE said.
There are no financial sanctions in case of retirement
During the General Assembly of the UU in July, several countries had “expressed concern about the participation of Israel” in Vienna in 2026, recalls the audiovisual group. The organizer authorized them to withdraw from the competition until mid -December, without financial penalties.
Ireland is one of the European countries that, with Spain, Norway and Slovenia, recognized the state of Palestine in the spring of 2024, and were very critical of the Benjamin Netanyahu government and the war in the Gaza Strip, caused after the attack against Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023.
The Spanish Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, opened the door earlier this week to a withdrawal from Spain, declaring that it will be necessary to take measures “if Israel participates next year.
“Genocide in Gaza”
This decision will return to the Spanish public group RTVE, who had claimed a “debate” about the presence of Israel and challenged the organizer by transmitting a message of support to the Palestinians last year before its transmission of the event.
At the beginning of September, the Slovenian public channel also recalled its position in a statement, namely that “if Israel is participating in Eurovision competition, RTVslo will not participate due to the genocide in Gaza.”
The Austrian artist JJ, winner of Eurovision 2025, had begged for an Austrian edition “without Israel”, before apologizing for the excited controversy in his country.
Several nations, including Spain and Belgium, have also requested greater transparency on the public vote, which had driven the Israeli singer and survivor to the attack on October 7, 2023, Yuval Raphael secondly last year.
Source: BFM TV
