Eurovision Faces Largest Boycott in 70-Year History Over Israel's Participation

Anti-Israel protests built ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest final in Basel, Switzerland. Several hundred demonstrators there wore Palestinian flags and smeared themselves with fake blood to symbolize killings in Gaza. During the grand final, two people tried to storm the stage targeting Israeli singer Yuval Raphael and threw paint that hit a Eurovision crew member.

The arena grew tense as results came in, with people praying, some crying, and chants of "Austria, Austria" filling the air. Raphael earned middling points from judges but topped the public vote over every other participant.

Several broadcasters questioned Israel's strong finish. They noted official social media accounts tied to Israel's government, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's, urged votes for Raphael the maximum 20 times allowed. The broadcasters suggested the result reflected repeated voting more than broad support.

Israel's government has often claimed it faces a global smear campaign. Some broadcasters called for an audit and a review of the long-standing voting system to ensure, in the words of Flemish public broadcaster VRT, a fair reflection of viewer and listener opinion.

The European Broadcasting Union, which runs the event, said the vote underwent independent checks with no evidence that 20 votes per person disproportionately affected the result. It later called the outcome valid and robust.

Israel's near victory escalated a long-simmering dispute over geopolitics in Eurovision voting. The contest now confronts its biggest boycott in 70 years.

While 35 countries join the 2026 contest, broadcasters from Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia pulled out of this week's event over Israel's participation. Their reasons vary; some cite the Gaza offensive that started in 2023 after Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostage on October 7. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry reports more than 72,000 deaths since. Some broadcasters accused Israel of genocide, which Israel denies.

Most boycotting broadcasters align with their governments' criticisms of Israel. Last month, politicians from Spain, Slovenia and Ireland failed to suspend EU trade preferences with Israel. The broadcasters say they decided independently.

No broadcasters withdrew from the 2024 or 2025 contests despite earlier concerns. Israel's Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar called a boycott shameful and hypocritical, saying Eurovision celebrates music, culture and brotherhood, not political points.

Politics has long shaped Eurovision votes, with allied nations swapping public points. But some broadcasters argue Israel's presence and voting patterns undermine the music contest. A few now say no country at war should participate, even proposing to bar Ukraine to protect voting integrity.

Eurovision involves EBU member public broadcasters like the BBC, not governments. Its slogan is "united by music." Dr. Dean Vuletic, author of Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest, noted countries have used entry to end isolation, like Franco's Spain and Tito's Yugoslavia in 1961.

Past conflicts disrupted participation temporarily: Greece boycotted in 1975 over Turkey's Cyprus invasion; Armenia skipped Azerbaijan in 2012 over Nagorno-Karabakh; Lebanon withdrew in 2005 over Israel broadcast rules; Morocco joined only in 1980 when Israel sat out.

Slovenian broadcaster RTV president Natalija Gorščak said fans protested sharing the stage with Israel and that public broadcasters should fight for peace. Iceland's RÚV cited doubts over Israel's broadcaster and government conduct. Dutch Avrotros pointed to political interference conflicting with its values.

Yuval Raphael survived the Nova festival attack on October 7, hiding under bodies with shrapnel in her leg. The EBU confirmed she met non-political entry rules. Gorščak called her symbolic and political anyway.

Israeli government-linked posts stayed within rules, as did others' encouragements, but critics said Israel's scale stood out. The EBU cut maximum votes to 10 this year and discouraged heavy promotion by governments. It warned Israel's Kan over videos urging 10 votes for representative Noam Bettan, which Kan removed.

Tensions trace to 2022, when the EBU expelled Russia over Ukraine invasion. Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra won with record public points. Slovenia's RTV saw that as political solidarity undermining fairness. Gorščak said victims draw votes unfairly, as with the UK's Sam Ryder. Spain's RTVE chair José Pablo López called for barring conflict countries.

EBU members upheld the rule letting any member enter. Broadcasters privately echo concerns over mass voting for Ukraine and Israel. One senior figure said conflict countries disrupt equality.

Dana International, Israel's 1998 winner, said boycotts harm peace and the contest. Kan warned disqualification would undermine EBU values ahead of the 70th edition. The EBU has defended Kan against its own government's threats.

Some broadcasters report trouble finding acts due to reputational risks as divisions grow. As Vienna hosts the 70th contest, protests and petitions persist despite rules against political use.