Ireland to boycott Eurovision again over Israeli participation and ongoing Gaza deaths

Ireland is to boycott Eurovision for the second year running over the “appalling” ongoing killing in Gaza, the national broadcaster has said.

Ireland was one of five countries, along with Iceland, the Netherlands, Spain and Slovenia, that refused to take part in the competition this year in protest against Israel’s participation.

RTÉ announced on Thursday it would not participate in the 2027 competition. The Dutch broadcaster Avrotros announced its own boycott last month, calling Eurovision a “platform for division”.

In a statement, the Irish broadcaster said: “RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation cannot be justified given ‌the appalling and ongoing loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk.”

Next year’s Eurovision is to be held in the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Burgas, after the country won for the first time in May.

Avrotros said it would not take part, claiming the competition “can no longer be considered neutral, with a participating country still involved in a large-scale military conflict”.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises the event, is in talks with other Dutch broadcasters, hoping one of the country’s other public service TV stations will participate.

Eurovision’s director, Martin Green, said he regretted but respected RTÉ’s decision. “They remain a valued part of our family and will be missed,” he said.

“That power to bring people together is at the heart of what makes the contest so special and is even more important now in an increasingly difficult and divided world,” he added.

“All broadcasters decide on an annual basis to participate in the following year’s contest. We will remain in dialogue with RTÉ and hope to welcome them back to the contest in the future.”

The EBU has tried twice to address broadcasters’ concerns over the participation of Israel.

Last year, it reduced the number of votes that could be entered online or by telephone by one individual, amid allegations Israel had mounted a disproportionate campaign for public votes.

Last month, the EBU announced that broadcasters would no longer be eligible to host the Eurovision song contest if their state was involved in an “armed conflict” or in a “sensitive geopolitical situation”.

Eurovision has faced protests in and outside the competition venues in recent years over the participation of Israel, a competitor since 1973.

In 2024, the European Commission made an unusual intervention after the organisers banned audience members from waving the EU flag at the grand final in Sweden, describing the decision as “mind-blowing” and “regrettable”.

Palestinian authorities report that more than 73,000 people have been killed in ​Israel’s war on Gaza, ‌which was launched ​after Hamas-led fighters killed 1,200 ​people in an attack on southern Israel in October 2023.

A US-brokered ceasefire agreed last year calls for eventual reconstruction of the territory but Israeli strikes have continued. According to Gaza’s health ministry, 1,369 Palestinians have been killed and 4,627 wounded since the fragile ceasefire took effect on 11 October 2025.

Reuters contributed to this report

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