Ireland among countries boycotting Eurovision after Israel allowed to compete

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 4 min read 100% complete December 4, 2025 at 08:52 PM

AI Summary

long article 4 min

Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovenia will boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest after Israel was allowed to compete, despite calls for their exclusion due to the war in Gaza. The decision follows a meeting of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) where a vote on Israel's participation was allegedly tied to accepting new rules intended to prevent unfair voting practices. Spain's RTVE had requested a secret ballot on Israel's participation, but the request was denied. Ireland's RTÉ cited the loss of life in Gaza as the reason their participation was "unconscionable." The EBU stated that members agreeing to the new rules are eligible to participate in the 2026 contest. The meeting, attended by approximately 50 broadcasters, also addressed allegations that Israel unfairly boosted its entrant in the previous contest.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Yuval Raphael 50% European Broadcasting Union (EBU) 50% Ireland ×260% Israel ×780% Eurovision Song Contest ×480%

Keywords

eurovision song contest 100% israel 90% boycott 80% voting practices 60% european broadcasting union 60% gaza 50% political theatre 40% rtve 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.20

Source Transparency

Source

BBC News - World

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Israel

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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eurovision song contest israel boycott voting practices european broadcasting union gaza political theatre rtve

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