Iceland joins Eurovision boycott in protest over Israel
Source: Eurovision
Iceland will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, the country’s public broadcaster RUV says.
The island nation has become the fifth country to withdraw from the annual competition after organiser the European Broadcasting Union last week cleared Israel to take part.
Iceland follows Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia withdrawing in protest from the next Eurovision, which will be held in Vienna in May, citing Israel’s conduct in the Gaza Strip war.
“It is clear from the public debate in this country and the reaction to the EBU’s decision last week that there will be neither joy nor peace regarding RUV’s participation,” the broadcaster’s director general Stefan Eiriksson said on Thursday (Australian time).
Iceland was among the countries that had requested a vote last week on Israel’s participation.
But the European Broadcasting Union, or EBU, decided not to call a vote on Israel’s participation, saying it had instead passed rules aimed at discouraging governments from influencing the contest.
Iceland has never won the song contest but came second in 1999 and 2009.
The Eurovision Song Contest dates back to 1956 and reaches about 160 million viewers, according to the EBU.
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