Eurovision faces five‑country boycott

The Eurovision Song Contest opened in Vienna on May 12 under the heaviest political strain the event has faced in years. Israel’s entrant, Noam Bettan, qualified from the first semi-final despite protests inside the arena and a five-country boycott over Israel’s participation during the war in Gaza. (france24.com) Austria is hosting the contest’s 70th edition at Wiener Stadthalle, with the Grand Final set for May 16. Organizers at the European Broadcasting Union, or EBU, have kept Israel in the competition after member broadcasters failed to force its exclusion. (france24.com) ### Which countries are boycotting, and what exactly are they refusing to do? FRANCE 24 reported that Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland are boycotting the 2026 contest in protest at Israel’s participation. (eurovision.com) Those withdrawals reduced the field for Eurovision’s 70th anniversary and turned a dispute that had simmered for months into an open split among member broadcasters. December 2025 was the point when the dispute hardened. POLITICO reported that the EBU said “a large majority” of members agreed there was no need for a further vote on Israel’s participation and that the contest should proceed in Vienna with additional safeguards. After that decision, several broadcasters publicly pulled out. (france24.com) ### Why is Israel still in the contest if other countries objected? The EBU’s December decision left Israel in the lineup for Vienna 2026. POLITICO reported that member broadcasters were unable to secure Israel’s exclusion, even as pressure mounted from countries arguing that the contest’s neutrality had been undermined by the Gaza war. (france24.com) Eurovision’s own schedule shows that Israel was drawn into the first semi-final, where Bettan performed “Michelle.” The official Eurovision site said the live shows were set for May 12, May 14 and May 16, with Israel among the competing acts in the first semi-final. ### What happened during Israel’s performance in Vienna? (politico.eu) May 12 became the flashpoint inside the arena. Multiple reports said chants of “stop the genocide” and “free Palestine” rose during the introduction to Bettan’s song and in its opening moments. The Times of Israel reported that four activists were removed from the event hall by security after interruptions during the performance. (politico.eu) Israel still advanced. FRANCE 24 and other reports said Bettan qualified from the first semi-final along with Finland and other acts, putting Israel into Saturday’s final despite the disruption in the hall. (eurovision.com) ### Who is Noa, and why has her intervention drawn attention? FRANCE 24 on May 13 interviewed Israeli singer Noa, who represented Israel at Eurovision in 2009 alongside Mira Awad, a Palestinian citizen of Israel. The broadcaster said Noa spoke as this year’s contest was overshadowed by divisions over Israel’s participation and the war in Gaza. (middleeasteye.net) Noa’s appearance did not change the contest’s lineup, but it added a prominent Israeli cultural voice to a dispute that has widened beyond broadcasters and fans. Her intervention came one day after the first semi-final and before the second semi-final in Vienna. (france24.com) ### How much of the anniversary contest is still proceeding as normal? Vienna remains the host city, and the contest is still running on its published timetable. The official Eurovision site said the second semi-final is scheduled for Thursday, May 14, and the Grand Final for Saturday, May 16, with Austria as host and the “Big 4” plus Austria automatically in the final. (france24.com) Thirty-five countries are taking part overall, according to official and broadcast schedules, down from what organizers would normally expect after the five withdrawals. The next public test for the contest comes on May 14, when the second semi-final will play out in Vienna before the final two days later. (nbcnews.com) (eurovision.com) (france24.com)