Ireland, Spain, Slovenia weigh Eurovision withdrawal if Israel allowed to participate in 2026

Ireland, Spain and Slovenia have stepped up their opposition to Israel’s potential involvement in Eurovision 2026, raising the prospect of high-profile withdrawals from the song contest, Anadolu reports. In a statement, Irish national broadcaster RTE said: “Ireland will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if the participation of Israel goes ahead, and the final decision regarding Ireland’s participation will be made once the EBU’s (European Broadcasting Union) decision is made.” The broadcaster underlined that Ireland’s participation would be “unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza.” It added that RTE is “also deeply concerned by the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza, and the denial of access to international journalists to the territory, and […]