LONDON (Reuters) – Ireland will not take part in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is allowed to participate, Irish broadcaster RTE said on Thursday, arguing that doing so would be “unconscionable” because of the conflict in Gaza.
Recent editions of Eurovision have been overshadowed by opposition to Israel’s participation in the contest over its continuing military assault on Gaza, which has killed more than 64,000 people, according to local health authorities.
The conflict began after the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas militants that killed 1,200 people and resulted in the capture of 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
Israel has participated in Eurovision as a longtime member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises and co-produces the annual event.
Ireland’s RTE said a number of EBU members had raised concerns about Israel’s taking part during a meeting in July.
“RTE feels that Ireland’s participation would be unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza,” the broadcaster said in a statement.
The EBU said it understood the “concerns and deeply held views around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East”.
“We are still consulting with all EBU members to gather views on how we manage participation and geopolitical tensions around the Eurovision Song Contest,” director Martin Green said in an emailed statement.
“Broadcasters have until mid-December to confirm if they wish to take part in next year’s event in Vienna. It is up to each member to decide if they want to take part in the contest and we would respect any decision broadcasters make.”
RTE said it was also deeply concerned by “the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza, and the denial of access to international journalists to the territory, and the plight of the remaining hostages”.
Israel has denied targeting journalists in the enclave.
A final decision about Ireland’s participation in the 2026 competition will be made once the EBU makes its own decision on Israel, RTE said.
Ireland has taken part in the contest since 1965 and won seven times, with only Sweden matching its record number of victories.
(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar and Paul Sandle; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
