Iceland boycotts Eurovision 2026 over Israel’s participation
“Public debate in the country and reactions to the EBU's decision make it clear that our participation would bring neither joy nor a sense of peace.”
Iceland officially announced Wednesday evening that it will withdraw from Eurovision 2026, criticizing the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) decision to allow Israel to compete.
The move follows similar withdrawals by Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia.
In a statement, Iceland’s public broadcaster RÚV said: “Public debate in the country and reactions to the EBU's decision make it clear that our participation would bring neither joy nor a sense of peace.”
Iceland had previously warned it might pull out if Israel was permitted to compete, despite political pressure and boycott calls in several European countries.
The announcement comes after a tense EBU general assembly, where member countries approved a regulation amendment enabling Israel’s participation. Several delegations, including Spain, Slovenia, Belgium, and Turkey, argued that Israel’s presence was “incompatible” with Eurovision’s spirit. Norway supported the EBU’s proposal, while Sweden and the UK remained neutral, emphasizing the need to “preserve Eurovision from any political instrumentalization.”
On Israel’s side, Golan Yochpaz, director general of public broadcaster Kan, criticized what he called a “cultural boycott that could extend far beyond Israel’s eviction,” warning it threatened freedom of expression and creativity.
Eight countries had requested a secret vote on Israel’s inclusion, while Ukraine opposed it, stressing that Israel’s situation should not be compared to Russia’s 2022 exclusion.