The European Union's opposition to the exclusion of the Zionist regime from the Eurovision Song Contest has led to five European countries withdrawing from the contest.
Publish dateTuesday 12 May 2026 - 08:42
Story Code : 354315
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest has faced an unprecedented crisis a few days before its official start due to the continued presence of the Zionist regime in the contest, leading to a wave of boycotts and withdrawals in Europe.
The 70th Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to be held in Vienna from May 12 to 16, but the European Union's decision to continue the presence of the Zionist regime has sparked protests from a number of European countries.
In this regard, five European countries, including Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Iceland, announced that they would withdraw from Eurovision 2026. European media have described this move as the largest wave of Eurovision boycotts since the 1970s.
The decision came after the European Union General Assembly rejected a separate vote on Israel's exclusion from the contest, adopting only a set of new rules to limit government interference and organized advertising in the voting.
The European Broadcasting Union announced that a majority of its members saw no need for a new vote on Israel's participation and that the contest would go ahead as planned.
Meanwhile, the Spanish Radio and Television Corporation, which had previously announced its withdrawal in September 2025, stressed that its decision was final and would also boycott the Eurovision semi-finals and final.
At the same time, more than a thousand European artists and cultural activists signed an open letter calling for Israel to be excluded from the contest. They stressed that Tel Aviv's continued participation despite Russia's exclusion following the Ukraine war shows double standards.
The campaign has also been supported by well-known artists such as Brian Eno and Macklemore. Also, former Eurovision winner Sertab Erner from Turkey declined an official invitation to attend the closing ceremony of this season, citing global political tensions as the reason.
The 70th Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to be held in Vienna from May 12 to 16, but the European Union's decision to continue the presence of the Zionist regime has sparked protests from a number of European countries.
In this regard, five European countries, including Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Iceland, announced that they would withdraw from Eurovision 2026. European media have described this move as the largest wave of Eurovision boycotts since the 1970s.
The decision came after the European Union General Assembly rejected a separate vote on Israel's exclusion from the contest, adopting only a set of new rules to limit government interference and organized advertising in the voting.
The European Broadcasting Union announced that a majority of its members saw no need for a new vote on Israel's participation and that the contest would go ahead as planned.
Meanwhile, the Spanish Radio and Television Corporation, which had previously announced its withdrawal in September 2025, stressed that its decision was final and would also boycott the Eurovision semi-finals and final.
At the same time, more than a thousand European artists and cultural activists signed an open letter calling for Israel to be excluded from the contest. They stressed that Tel Aviv's continued participation despite Russia's exclusion following the Ukraine war shows double standards.
The campaign has also been supported by well-known artists such as Brian Eno and Macklemore. Also, former Eurovision winner Sertab Erner from Turkey declined an official invitation to attend the closing ceremony of this season, citing global political tensions as the reason.
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