Eurovision director addresses fans amid increasing boycotts over Israel's participation

The director of Eurovision has said he "respects" the decision by Ireland and several other countries to boycott the 2026 event over Israel's participation and hopes they will return "soon."

In the open letter published today, Eurovision Song Contest director Martin Green told fans in the boycotting countries "your broadcasters, like all our Members, made a decision that was right for them and contributed to the debate with great dignity."

"We will continue to work with them as friends and colleagues in the hope they return to the Contest soon," Green said.

After a General Assembly last week, the EBU reported a sizeable majority of members felt that a vote on Israel's participation was unnecessary. Following the report, RTÉ announced Ireland would not participate in or broadcast the Contest.

"RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk," said RTÉ in a statement last week.

Broadcasters from Spain, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Iceland soon followed suit. In a statement yesterday, Iceland's broadcaster RÚV said the EBU report demonstrated there would be "neither joy nor peace" and the Contest could no longer fulfil its goal of unity.

Green said he understands how fans "feel strongly about events in the Middle East and how those realities connect" to Eurovision.

"No one can fail to be moved by what we have seen in the region in the past few years," Green said.

"Some of you have written to us, spoken out, or expressed anger and pain at what they see as silence in the face of tragedy. I want to say that we hear you. We understand why you feel so strongly and that we care too.

"We know many fans want us to take a defined position on geo-political events. But the only way the Eurovision Song Contest can continue to bring people together is by ensuring we are guided by our rules first and foremost."

Green said Eurovision leadership will ensure all participating broadcasters "respect the rules" in the 2026 Contest and offered "a personal pledge" that any transgressions will not be tolerated.

Complaints were made in 2025 about the conduct of the Israeli delegation by Ireland's Bambie Thug who said the Israeli broadcaster broke rules by inciting "violence" while Israeli performers "harassed" other competitors.

Multiple countries, including Ireland, also called for an investigation into the validity of votes after Israel's entry received the highest tally among the public vote.

"When faced with a divided world, the Eurovision Song Contest has the privileged role to offer a space where millions can celebrate what connects us," Green said.

"A space where music takes centre stage. A space that welcomes everyone - whoever you are, wherever you are, and whatever your views are about the world around us....In a challenging world we can indeed be United by Music."

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises Eurovision, also issued a statement addressing the controversy this afternoon.

In the statement, the EBU described last week's General Assembly discussion as "respectful and articulate" while characterising public pushback against EBU members who spoke in support of Israel's participation as "completely inaccurate and ill-informed."

"Members expressing their opinions were reflecting their own and their audience views on this difficult issue, not those of any political perspective or political party," the EBU said.

The EBU added it "respects the right of Members to make an individual decision on participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, whatever that decision," and it hopes the boycotting countries will return "very soon."

José Pablo López, chair of Spanish broadcaster RTVE, condemned the statements in a post on X. López said Green's letter was published "with the Contest in flames" amid "the biggest reputational crisis in the history of the EBU."

López criticised Green for not explicitly mentioning Gaza or Israel in the letter and for vaguely referring to "events in the Middle East."

"Green does not call a spade a spade," said López, adding, "Is genocide an event? Nothing more?"

López also decried Green for insinuating "the past is the past" when it comes to Israel's alleged rule violations in previous years.

"Are the rules applied as it suits the EBU because of its geopolitical and economic alliances?" López said.

"Above all, I give [Green] credit for having the nerve to say this after Israel assured us, on the very night the new rules were voted on, that it had exerted political influence on the delegations to ensure it could remain in Eurovision. What else is there to see?"

Hoy Martin Green se ha dirigido al pueblo en una carta.

Lo hace con el Festival en llamas, 5 países retirados, artistas que no aceptarán la preselección nacional para ir a Eurovisión, grandes estrellas del Festival posicionándose contra la participación de Israel y la mayor… pic.twitter.com/jCU1KGxiVF

— José Pablo López (@Josepablo_ls) December 11, 2025

Christian Ellegaard, journalist for the Danish EBU broadcaster DR, suggested Green's letter "indirectly confirmed that some broadcasters did indeed break the rules in the past few editions" in a post on X.

"It then begs the question why the EBU didn’t feel the rule breaking was neccesary to call out nor sanction back then?" Ellegaard said.

Danish singer and previous Eurovision winner Emmelie De Forest described Israel's participation as "immoral" and she was "disappointed" by DR's decision not to boycott the Contest in an interview with Danish news channel TV 2.

"Ultimately, I think the responsibility lies with the EBU," De Forest said.

"It should not be up to the artists or the individual countries' television stations. The EBU is shirking its responsibility by hiding behind this vote. You can also see, when countries like Spain, the Netherlands and Ireland withdraw, that this is not just something that is happening on the internet. These are major public service stations that are reacting to this."

De Forest said she believes Israel should be barred from the Contest until an international investigation into the country is carried out, adding if Israel is allowed to participate, Palestine should also be invited.

"It's an awkward situation for many Eurovision artists," De Forest said.

"These shows and events are their livelihood. It may be easier for me to say no to things now that I'm older and have gained a lot from my victory, but if you're 20 years old and facing your breakthrough, it can be difficult to navigate...But we must not underestimate the power of consumers and I believe we must continue to speak out."

This week, 17 Portuguese artists — all participants in Festival da Canção, Portugal's national selection competition for Eurovision — signed a joint statement on the matter.

The artists condemned Portuguese broadcaster RTP for voting in favour of Israel and vowed to refuse to represent their country if they are selected at Festival da Canção in March 2026.

"We believe that the country and the world are going through times when silence makes us accomplices to a tragedy," the statement read.

"With words and songs, we act within the possibilities available to us. We do not condone the violation of human rights. And we resist with culture, with Portuguese culture. Long live music. It is because of music that we are here."

 

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Several fan groups, content creators, independent publications and journalists have also issued statements on social media promising not to cover the 2026 Contest over Israel's participation.

The 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest is set to take place at Vienna's Wiener Stadthalle, Austria’s largest indoor arena – with the final set for May 16 and the semi-finals taking place on May 12 and 14.