Israel cleared to stay in Eurovision; Spain, Ireland and others quit in protest.

Slovenia will withdraw from the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna after the group of networks who run the contest cleared Israel to take part, its broadcaster confirmed on Friday (December 5).

Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands have also announced they will join the boycott over the war in Gaza, plunging the competition into one of the biggest rows in its history.

Broadcaster RTV Slovenia will neither send a contestant to the contest nor broadcast the competition, unless it is allowed to cut the Israeli entrant from the live show, President of the Management Board at RTV Slovenia, Natalija Gorscak, said.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

(7573-MUSIC-EUROVISION/ISRAEL-SLOVENIA)

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (DECEMBER 5, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF HEADQUARTERS OF EUROPEAN BROADCASTING UNION (EBU)

2. VARIOUS ENTRANCE OF EBU, PEOPLE WALKING PAST

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF MANAGEMENT BOARD AT RTV SLOVENIA, NATALIJA GORSCAK, SAYING:

"Our audience asks us not to be in the song contest. Why? Because of 20,000 children who died and because 92 percent of homes in Gaza are destroyed and people are just wandering around, it's getting cold, they're without food. And we will sing without any conscience? What human beings are we?"

Austrians, who host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), on Thursday (December 4) welcomed Israel’s participation in the competition, saying politics and entertainment should not be mixed. (7251-MUSIC-EUROVISION/ISRAEL AUSTRIANS)

VIENNA, AUSTRIA (DECEMBER 4, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

4. VARIOUS OF VIENNA CHRISTMAS MARKET AND VISITORS NEXT TO STEPHANSDOM CATHEDRAL

5. (SOUNDBITE) (French) PASSER-BY, CLAUDINE MATT, SAYING:

"Eurovision is a cultural and musical competition, and now we need to work for peace. Culture and music should bring together all nationalities, all nations, all people.”

6. (SOUNDBITE) (German) RESIDENT FROM AUSTRIA, BARBARA (NO LAST NAME GIVEN), SAYING:

“I think it’s absolutely right for Israel to be a part and the fact that Spain is not, is a pity but Spain’s decision.”

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) VISITOR FROM BRITAIN’S COTSWOLDS REGION, DARREN BURK, SAYING:

"So we're big fans of Eurovision, and I think what Eurovision stands for isn't politics. So, it's a bit like sports as well, you know. Politics really shouldn't get involved. However, what's happening—what Israel is doing—is not good. So, I think whatever the countries decide to do, it's up to them.”

Spain's Social and Consumer Rights Minister, Pablo Bustinduy, said on Friday (December 5) he hopes other European countries will join the country's withdrawal from Eurovision festival after it was confirmed that Israel will participate in the next edition. (7617-MUSIC-EUROVISION/ISRAEL-SPAIN)

TOLEDO, SPAIN (DECEMBER 5, 2025) (FORTA - No use Spain)

8. VARIOUS OF SPANISH MINISTER FOR SOCIAL AND CONSUMER RIGHTS, PABLO BUSTINDUY, SPEAKING TO DOCTOR DURING HOSPITAL VISIT

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPANISH MINISTER FOR SOCIAL AND CONSUMER RIGHTS, PABLO BUSTINDUY, SAYING:

"I hope that there are many other countries that follow our example (of withdrawing from Eurovision). It looks like once daily pictures of the indiscriminate massacre of tens of thousands of people, children, are out of the headlines and news bulletins, it looks like we should look somewhere else and normalise the situation (in Gaza). That's not possible."

VIENNA, AUSTRIA (DECEMBER 4, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

10. VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF VIENNA’S “STADTHALLE” CITY HALL, VENUE OF 2026 EUROVISION SONG CONTEST

Far from its official slogan of “United by Music”, Eurovision risks being “divided by politics”, an expert in the contest said on Friday after organisers ruled that Israel should be allowed to participate in next year’s competition, prompting a boycott by opposing nations.

Israel accuses its critics of mounting a global smear campaign against it.

Spain is one of the “Big Five” biggest financial backers of the contest, and though Paul Jordan said he didn’t expect it to run into financial difficulties, the symbolic impact of the walkout would be felt in the competition’s 70th anniversary year. (7598-MUSIC-EUROVISION/ISRAEL-EXPERT)

TEDDINGTON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (DECEMBER 5, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROVISION EXPERT, PAUL JORDAN, WHO DID A PHD ON THE CONTEST, SAYING:

"I think the overwhelming feeling amongst the fans is one of sadness and frustration. I've already looked at my social media feed this morning, and I see people arguing, people who have been friends for years. You know, Eurovision has brought me personally a lot of joy over the years, and it's just really sad that this is actually dividing us now. The slogan is 'United by music', but unfortunately it's divided by politics, and I think it's just a feeling of sadness all round because there are no winners here, regardless of whether Israel's in or out. The whole thing feels a little bit toxic now."

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (DECEMBER 5, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

12. VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF HEADQUARTERS OF EUROPEAN BROADCASTING UNION (EBU)

TEDDINGTON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (DECEMBER 5, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROVISION EXPERT PAUL JORDAN, WHO DID A PHD ON THE CONTEST, SAYING:

"Losing Spain from the competition is quite a significant deal for Eurovision because Spain is part of the so-called Big Five, along with the UK, France, Germany, and Italy. They contribute the most amount of money, which means that they have automatic entry into the grand final. And they also have one of the largest shares of the viewing audience as well. So losing Spain means there's a big chunk of the budget gone, but also a large audience share will be gone as well. So if another Big Five country withdrew, that would be quite serious."

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul welcomed the decision to allow Israel to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. (7564-GERMANY-ICELAND/)

BERLIN, GERMANY (DECEMBER 5, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

14. GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, JOHANN WADEPHUL, AND HIS ICELANDIC COUNTERPART, THORGERDUR KATRIN GUNNARSDOTTIR HOLDING PRESS CONFERENCE

15. (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER JOHANN WADEPHUL, SAYING:

"We welcome the decision to allow Israel to participate in the European Song Contest. Israel is traditionally part of it, and this is of course an independent decision, but from a German perspective, I can only welcome it and also encourage all other states and organisations responsible for this... to seriously consider whether they should not also remain involved. Culture should always have something unifying about it."

The Dutch decision to withdraw from the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest after Israel was allowed to participate prompted mixed reactions in The Hague on Friday. (7579-MUSIC-EUROVISION/ISRAEL-NETHERLANDS-REAX)

THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS (DECEMBER 5, 2025) (REUTERS - Access All)

16. WOMAN CYCLING

17. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING IN CITY CENTRE

18. (SOUNDBITE) (Dutch) 62-YEAR-OLD RESIDENT, JESSY ESSER, SAYING:

"Yes, I understand the decision, but I think they should just let them (Dutch contestants) join. Because politics is one thing and, what's it called, music is another. Yes, football goes ahead too when the Dutch national team has to play, for example."

19. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING

20. (SOUNDBITE) (English) 50-YEAR-OLD CURACAO NATIONAL, PAMELA LAPENA ROJER, SAYING:

"This is just a way to put a statement when on a political level it hasn't been able to work it out to make it a liveable situation for both the parties in the same country. So it has already been for years an international situation, and this is a result, and you know it escalates. And then when you can't do anything anymore because there are so many, how do you say, everybody has a position in it. This is a way to just show it."

21. PEOPLE WALKING