Eurovision faces five-country boycott

The European Broadcasting Union opened Eurovision’s second semifinal in Vienna on Thursday under the shadow of the contest’s biggest boycott in decades. Five broadcasters — from Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Iceland — are sitting out the 70th edition in protest at Israel’s participation, according to organizers and participating broadcasters. Israel nevertheless advanced from the first semifinal on Tuesday, putting its entrant, Noam Bettan, into Saturday’s grand final. Vienna police have also prepared for demonstrations around the event, saying they expect attempts to disrupt the contest. ### Which countries have pulled out, and what are they saying? Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Iceland withdrew after the EBU decided in December 2025 that Israel could remain eligible under revised contest rules. Martin Green, the Eurovision Song Contest director, said this week that organizers were still in contact with the five absent members and wanted them back. “We’ve got five members of our family missing this year,” Green told reporters in Vienna, according to Politico. (politico.eu) Slovenia’s broadcaster RTV linked its position to the EBU’s earlier decision to expel Russia after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, while Amnesty International said the EBU was applying a double standard by allowing Israel to compete during the Gaza war. The EBU has maintained that Eurovision is a contest between broadcasters, not governments, and that Israel’s public broadcaster KAN can take part as long as it follows the rules. (politico.eu) ### Why has Israel’s entry become the flashpoint? Israel’s participation has become the central dispute because the contest is taking place while the war in Gaza continues and after two previous Eurovision editions were also marked by protests. Politico reported that organizers moved into “crisis mode” late last year as broadcasters threatened to quit if Israel remained in the lineup. Amnesty International said on May 11 that the EBU’s refusal to suspend Israel had ignored protests from member broadcasters and human rights groups. (politico.eu) The EBU’s December decision followed a General Assembly vote on rule changes aimed at reinforcing “trust, transparency and neutrality,” rather than a direct vote on excluding Israel. According to reporting on that decision, the new framework was adopted and all members willing to comply remained eligible for the 2026 contest. ### What happened in the first semifinal? Tuesday, May 12, produced the result that boycott supporters had tried to avoid: Israel qualified for the final. (politico.eu) The BBC reported that Bettan, 28, performed the song “Michelle” and “sailed through” to Saturday’s show despite the broader controversy around the event. Politico also reported that Israel advanced from the semifinal and will compete in the May 16 final in Vienna. The first live show also underscored how little the political row has receded once the voting starts. (eurovisionworld.com) Organizers have faced scrutiny over whether outside campaigns could influence results, especially after earlier complaints tied to Israel’s participation. ### Why are organizers talking about the vote? Martin Green said this week that Eurovision was watching voting patterns “very, very carefully” after concerns about attempts to sway viewers. (bbc.co.uk) The BBC and other outlets reported that organizers had stopped short of announcing sanctions, but said any effort to improperly influence the result would be treated seriously. The voting issue matters because the EBU already changed the framework ahead of Vienna 2026 after complaints about political pressure and outside influence. (msn.com) Green’s November 2025 open letter said those changes were meant to strengthen confidence in the contest’s neutrality before this year’s shows. ### What is happening in Vienna outside the arena? Vienna police said on May 5 that they expected protests against Israel’s participation to include “blockades and disruption attempts.” Dieter Csefan, the force’s vice president, told Politico that security precautions had been increased “far beyond the usual level” for Eurovision week in the Austrian capital. (msn.com) (eurovision.com) The demonstrations are part of a wider public campaign that has followed Eurovision from host city to host city since the Gaza war became a recurring issue for the contest. Amnesty International urged people to “stand up for human rights,” while the EBU has kept insisting the competition should remain nonpolitical. ### When will the next key test come? (usnews.com) Thursday’s second semifinal is the last qualifier before the grand final on Saturday, May 16, at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna. Eurovision’s official schedule says all three live shows start at 21:00 CEST, and the final will determine whether the contest can complete its 70th edition without further withdrawals or disruption. (eurovisionworld.com) (amnesty.org)