Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands have announced they will not take part in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest after Israel was allowed to compete.
The three countries were among those urging organisers to bar Israel over the rising humanitarian toll in Gaza and concerns about unfair voting practices.
Despite the calls, contest members chose not to vote on Israel’s participation. Instead, they approved new rules aimed at protecting the integrity of the event.
Dutch broadcaster Avrotros said taking part “under the current circumstances” goes against its core public values.
Spain’s broadcaster RTVE said earlier that it would withdraw if Israel remained in the competition. It confirmed Spain will not join Eurovision 2026 and will not air the final or the semi-finals.
RTVE also said its request for a secret ballot on Israel’s participation was rejected. The broadcaster said the refusal showed political pressure around the contest and increased its distrust in the organisers.
Broadcasters in other countries, including Slovenia and Iceland, are also expected to pull out next year.
With inputs from BBC