At least four countries boycott 2026 Eurovision after EBU says Israel can take part

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At least four countries boycott 2026 Eurovision after EBU says Israel can take part   The contest, whose 70th edition is scheduled for Vienna in May, pits acts from dozens of nations against one another for the continent's musical crown.  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/12/04/netherlands-and-spain-boycott-2026-eurovision-after-ebu-says-israel-can-take-part  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

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00:00At least four countries have announced they are pulling out of next year's Eurovision Song Contest

00:07after organizers decided to allow Israel to compete.

00:11The participating broadcasters from the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia

00:15each withdrew from the Song Contest after the European Broadcasting Union

00:19held its twice-yearly General Assembly.

00:23The countries called for Israel to be excluded over alleged interference in voting

00:27and its conduct in the war on Gaza.

00:30Well, what I'm pleased is the membership have had a full opportunity to debate it

00:34and I can tell you it was a full, frank, honest and quite moving debate.

00:39But as we can see from the emphatic result,

00:42what they really came together on is a belief that Eurovision Song Contest

00:46shouldn't be used as a political theatre.

00:49It must retain some sense of neutrality.

00:52The EBU voted to adopt tougher voting rules in response to the allegations

00:56that Israel manipulated the vote in favor of their contestant.

01:00The contest of musical acts from dozens of countries strives to remain apolitical

01:05but has repeatedly been embroiled in world events.

01:08Russia was expelled in 2022 after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

01:13Over the past two years, pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated against Israel

01:18outside the Eurovision contest venues in Switzerland and in Sweden.

01:22Thank you very much for each other.

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