Ireland, (also Spain ) RTE will not show Eurovision 2026 if Israel takes part

[arista]

[Ireland, which has been critical of
Israel's war on Gaza, will withdraw from next year's
Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is permitted
to compete,
The national broadcaster RTE has announced.
The broadcaster in a statement on Thursday said
participating would be “unconscionable” as a
result of Israel's war on Gaza.]


Other EU nations may follow.


https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/sep/11/rte-says-ireland-will-not-be-part-of-eurovision-2026-if-israel-participates

[Beso]

https://youtube.com/shorts/mf1iQP1xJu0?si=WhGTxR9Q1N4ZqAnr

[Nicky91]

yes but Germany wants to withdraw if Israel are kicked out, and Germany pay the most to the contest, and most viewer ratings of all countries

[arista]

yes but Germany wants to withdraw if Israel are kicked out, and Germany pay the most to the contest, and most viewer ratings of all countries



Nicky that is Crazy.


So they will have Ireland out of this..................


Also Yes
if they do fund it more, maybe they can
tell Ireland to Shut their Gob.

[Benjamin]

Slovenia are also out if Israel participate.

Iceland, Finland, Netherlands, Spain and UK have said they may also back out.

[arista]

Slovenia are also out if Israel participate.

Iceland, Finland, Netherlands, Spain and UK have said they may also back out.


Yes on that Link


Not the UK, in this Fight
Ben

[Livia]

Room for another country in the final then. Taking part is not compulsory and it's not like Ireland contribute much financially.

[Cherie]

Ireland were part of Eurovision while the IRA were active, so its a bit of a double standard really, they are harming the individual not the government who will take no notice, for years Eurovision has got more and more political in the voting to the point of parody at this stage, it does not need to be politised any further

[arista]

[National broadcaster joins Slovenia in making participation
next year conditional amid war in Gaza]

From the Guardian Link

[arista]

Ireland were part of Eurovision while the IRA were active, so its a bit of a double standard really, they are harming the individual not the government who will take no notice, for years Eurovision has got more and more political in the voting to the point of parody at this stage, it does not need to be politised any further



Very True

[Livia]

Yes on that Link


Not the UK, in this Fight
Ben


If the UK pulled out I'm not sure it'd be able to go ahead. I know this probably won't be popular but I'd scrap it now. It's used endlessly for political point scoring.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Student political grandstanding from Ireland

Embarrassing for the country

[Benjamin]

If the UK pulled out I'm not sure it'd be able to go ahead. I know this probably won't be popular but I'd scrap it now. It's used endlessly for political point scoring.

Sadly, this is true. Look at when Ukraine last won. That song wasn’t great or anything special (and they usually submit brilliant entries) but it won off the back of their situation.

[Livia]

Sadly, this is true. Look at when Ukraine last won. That song wasn’t great or anything special (and they usually submit brilliant entries) but it won off the back of their situation.

The year before the war Ukraine had a great, really catchy song and it got nowhere. Last year, a young female survivor of the 7th October massacre was booed and heckled. WTF? I used to love it, we'd have a bit of a party... But it's tedious now.

[arista]

Student political grandstanding from Ireland

Embarrassing for the country


They are saying the Irish TV broadcaster RTE
is going to block it?


That's a Union thing

[Maru]

The year before the war Ukraine had a great, really catchy song and it got nowhere. Last year, a young female survivor of the 7th October massacre was booed and heckled. WTF? I used to love it, we'd have a bit of a party... But it's tedious now.

We can't even enjoy music now without people getting butthurt.

[Niamh.]

Room for another country in the final then. Taking part is not compulsory and it's not like Ireland contribute much financially.

Nice of you to think we'd make the final :fan:

[Livia]

Nice of you to think we'd make the final :fan:

Ireland has a great history in Eurovision (not Jedward lol). But it's not the same competition anymore.

[Niamh.]

Ireland has a great history in Eurovision (not Jedward lol). But it's not the same competition anymore.

We had, 1996 since we last won :laugh: tbf to jedward I think they got us our highest placing in more recent years

[Livia]

We had, 1996 since we last won :laugh: tbf to jedward I think they got us our highest placing in more recent years

It's really been so long? Maybe I think you have a more recent history because My Lovely Horse pops up so regularly. The best winning song you never had.

[Niamh.]

It's really been so long? Maybe I think you have a more recent history because My Lovely Horse pops up so regularly. The best winning song you never had.

We should give it a go and send Ardal O'Hanlon, he'd have to do it solo though (RIP Demot Morgan)

[Livia]

We should give it a go and send Ardal O'Hanlon, he'd have to do it solo though (RIP Demot Morgan)

He'd win.

Seen Father Ted so many times, know what's coming... Still laugh.

[Niamh.]

He'd win.

Seen Father Ted so many times, know what's coming... Still laugh.

Same :laugh:

[Liam-]

Yes Eurovision shouldn’t be political, which is exactly why Israel should be removed, because no country actively commiting genocide and attacking every single country around it with no justification should be given the opportunity to white wash their actions on a platform that huge as a way to spread their propaganda and cheat the system to try and steal a win, it’s a unifying show and process and a country actively committing war crimes on a daily basis should be allowed to ruin it for every other country involved

[Benjamin]

We had, 1996 since we last won :laugh: tbf to jedward I think they got us our highest placing in more recent years

Actually it was Bambi Thug 2 years ago. She got you 6th (better than Jedward). :tongue:

[Niamh.]

Actually it was Bambi Thug 2 years ago. She got you 6th (better than Jedward). :tongue:

Ah forgot about her. Jedwards song was better so I'm sticking with them :hee:

[Benjamin]

Ah forgot about her. Jedwards song was better so I'm sticking with them :hee:

It was absolutely not. Bambi’s song was iconic.

[Niamh.]

It was absolutely not. Bambi’s song was iconic.

https://i.makeagif.com/media/3-04-2015/qb7rGs.gif

[Benjamin]

https://i.makeagif.com/media/3-04-2015/qb7rGs.gif

https://64.media.tumblr.com/20508db33d538ea2a01dacfef671e1b7/29b9f26ef195237d-cc/s500x750/930ba1a703b1e8b3ca1cff651bbd83d798dbf0f2.gif

[Crimson Dynamo]

It was absolutely not. Bambi’s song was iconic.

It was sh1t and she was revolting :laugh:

[Benjamin]

It was sh1t and she was revolting :laugh:

Gave Ireland their best placing in over 24 years so can’t be that **** ;)

[Barry.]

If the UK pulled out I'm not sure it'd be able to go ahead. I know this probably won't be popular but I'd scrap it now. It's used endlessly for political point scoring.

Uk, Spain, Germany, Italy and France put the most in and if Israel is banned, Germany and Italy said they’d leave, and if they stay, the uk and Spain have rumourly said they’d leave. It’s a no win either side so yeah I kind of agree with you there.

[Livia]

Uk, Spain, Germany, Italy and France put the most in and if Israel is banned, Germany and Italy said they’d leave, and if they stay, the uk and Spain have rumourly said they’d leave. It’s a no win either side so yeah I kind of agree with you there.

If only we could just enjoy the contest without all the rest of the peripheral crap.

[bots]

i think the contest has always been crap, but it was for a long time a bit of harmless fun. Now, i don't think anyone can consider it fun and therefore there is no point in continuing it

[arista]

If Germany who pays the most for it, is pulling out


Best to Cancel this year's event

[arista]

i think the contest has always been crap, but it was for a long time a bit of harmless fun. Now, i don't think anyone can consider it fun and therefore there is no point in continuing it


Loads of Gays love it

[Livia]

Loads of Gays love it

It's like the Gay Olympics, I've been told.

[Nicky91]

i can see EBU standing with Israel, due to MoroccanOil sponsorship



but if they kick out Israel, then i can see them coming up with another nation in return, perhaps Kazakhstan :think: on a invite, they already received those invites for junior eurovision quite some editions


and i can see the EBU also trying to cool down Germany in terms of their ''withdrawal threat'' maybe with an offer of more power in the committee, helping out to try and improve the contest some more :think:

[Livia]

Cancel it.

[Benjamin]

Cancel it.

Replace it with TiBB’s Music festival. Our entries are better anyway. :dazzler:

[arista]

Great Eurovision has now spoken

They said it's up to each nation to join


Ref : Ch5HDnews Live

[emseateng2014]

the middle east is not even in europe

isnt euro vision just euro countrys like france uk ireland germany russia ukrange swiss sweeden

[Maru]

Great Eurovision has now spoken

They said it's up to each nation to join


Ref : Ch5HDnews Live

Oh, that's nice. They're not going to use mafia-style tactics to force countries to participate... thanks for letting us know, Eurovision

As arista put it, the "Great Eurovision" has spoken...

[Nicky91]

the middle east is not even in europe

isnt euro vision just euro countrys like france uk ireland germany russia ukrange swiss sweeden

Russia isn't in europe


:idc:

[Cherie]

So many countries are culled before the final anyway will it make any difference

[Nicky91]

So many countries are culled before the final anyway will it make any difference

nope


just a shorter length of show, which is better anyway

[arista]

Yes, a Shorter Show
would be the Answer

[Nicky91]

https://nltimes.nl/2025/09/12/israeli-embassy-slams-dutch-broadcasters-plan-boycott-eurovision-next-year

Israeli Embassy slams dutch broadcasters plan to boycott eurovision next year



mind your own ******* business stupid embassy :idc: if we want to withdraw because of your country's continued participation, we are entitled of that for that reason, no need for idiots like that embassy to try and change our opinions :rolleyes:

[Livia]

Gave Ireland their best placing in over 24 years so can’t be that **** ;)

Ben, it's ALL ****.

Have you watched The Story of Fire Saga yet? It's even cringier than real Eurovision. And I thought that was impossible.

[Jessica.]

I didn't watch it last year either, a platform like that is the last thing Israel needs.

[Nicky91]

I didn't watch it last year either, a platform like that is the last thing Israel needs.

2024 and 2025 were obvious proof of vote rigging by the Israeli's honestly


because realistically Eden Golan's song Hurricane would be borderline qualifier and bottom 5 in the final at best


and realistically Yuval Raphael would've been a bottom 2 non-qualifier, with that outdated cruise ship vibe ballad and her weak vocals, especially as the relatability factor with Yuval is quite low, the relatability factor with Eden though is a little bit higher



also their ''national selection'' is one shady mess, a very easy to rig talent show, of course Yuval was always gonna go to Basel :joker: a daughter of multi-millionaires and a niece of a founder and owner of a cosmetics empire

[Benjamin]

Spain are also out if Israel perform. First of the big 5 to take that stance.

https://news.sky.com/story/spain-votes-to-boycott-eurovision-if-israel-competes-13432081

[Nicky91]

Spain are also out if Israel perform. First of the big 5 to take that stance.

https://news.sky.com/story/spain-votes-to-boycott-eurovision-if-israel-competes-13432081

shame the likes of Albania aren't saying anything regarding this :idc: but then again i reckon they don't care about oppressed states like Palestine


i mean they themselves have a history of expelling their own people into a piece of land, now known as Kosovo

[Benjamin]

Azerbaijan and Luxembourg have confirmed they will compete regardless if Israel do/don’t.

Italy are now looking like they’ll boycott if Israel do participate.