🎶 Ireland has warned it will boycott Eurovision 2026 if Israel is allowed to compete, calling participation alongside Tel Aviv “morally unacceptable” amid the Gaza crisis.
National broadcaster RTÉ said the decision came after marathon cabinet talks, stressing that joining Israel in the contest — while thousands die in Gaza and journalists are silenced — would cross an ethical red line.
The move follows heated debates at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) General Assembly in July, where Israel’s spot was already under scrutiny. The EBU has given countries until December to confirm participation, leaving the final decision hanging.
Adding to the pressure, more than 70 Eurovision stars and past winners have signed an open letter demanding Israel’s ban, accusing its state broadcaster KAN of whitewashing government actions.
Ireland, the most successful Eurovision nation with seven titles, now joins Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in urging Europe not to repeat “cultural double standards” — pointing out that Russia was banned after invading Ukraine in 2022.
For now, all eyes are on the EBU: will it bow to growing calls to bar Israel, or risk a major backlash in Europe’s biggest cultural show?
