The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises the annual Eurovision Song Contest, is set to hold a vote regarding Israel’s participation. Its 68 member countries, including those that don’t take part in the event, like Tunisia, Egypt, Turkiye, Algeria, Jordan and Lebanon, will have their say at a general assembly in November.

This comes after several nations raised concerns about Israel’s participation in Eurovision at a meeting in July. This sparked a consultation process and an extension of the option to withdraw from the contest without penalty until December.

Since then, numerous countries have threatened to boycott the event. In a statement shared earlier this month, RTÉ said its position is that “Ireland will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if the participation of Israel goes ahead”.

The broadcaster added, “RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation would be unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza. RTÉ is 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.”

Other member states, including Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands, have similarly threatened to withdraw. While the EBU initially said that no decision had been made, on Friday, September 26, it confirmed that countries would be allowed to vote on whether or not Israel should be allowed to participate in next year’s Eurovision.

An independent UN commission recently concluded that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians, with over 66,000 people killed since October 7, 2023. A “worst-case scenario” famine has also been declared in Gaza, due to an aid blockade imposed by the invading country.

The last two editions of the Eurovision have received widespread backlash and faced boycotts from viewers because of Israel’s inclusion. This is not the first time that the contest has had to take a stance on geopolitical issues, as Russia has been excluded from the event since 2022 over its invasion of Ukraine.

Did you know we have a team of wonderful runners taking part in this year’s Dublin Marathon and raising funds for GCN? You can support our athletes at this link.