Allowing Israel to participate in Eurovision 2026 is an abhorrent decision by the European Broadcasting Union, according to Social Democrats media spokesperson Sinéad Gibney.
Deputy Gibney said:
“RTÉ is to be commended for following up on its commitment to withdraw from the Eurovision Song Contest if Israel was allowed to take part.
“It is outrageous that the European Broadcasting Union did not put Israel’s participation to a vote – this is against the very nature of the Union.
“Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia have shown courage, solidarity and compassion by also agreeing to boycott Eurovision 2026, and I hope many more countries will follow suit.
“The EBU has shown complete double standards by almost immediately banning Russia from participating upon their illegal invasion of Ukraine but giving Israel a pass while it commits genocide against the Palestinian people.
“Despite all of the talk of ceasefire in the past months, Israel continues to murder innocent Palestinians in Gaza – we cannot avert our gaze from what continues to be one of the most abhorrent abuses of human rights of our time.
“I implore all other EBU nations to recognise this ongoing ethnic cleansing and make the compassionate decision to abstain from Eurovision 2026 in solidarity with the Palestinian people.”
December 5th, 2025