Iceland joins Eurovision boycott over genocidal Israel’s participation

Icelandic broadcaster RUV has announced that it will boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest because organisers are allowing genocidal Israel to take part. The RUV said that Iceland’s participation would “neither be a source of joy nor peace”.

Iceland becomes the fifth European nation to pull out of the competition because a genocidal country — not even situated in Europe — is in it. Iceland joins Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia.

In its announcement, RUV said Israel’s participation had “created disunity” among participating nations. The UK is, shamefully, not expected to join the boycott. Yet another example of the British state’s collaboration in Israel’s slaughter of Palestinians and theft of their land.

Israel was allowed to participate, despite its attempts to rig last year’s vote, after a secret vote among member nations of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) on tougher rules to inhibit rigging, and on whether to hold a further vote on Israel’s participation in 2026. The new rules passed, but the EBU claimed that a “large majority” had voted against a new ballot on Israel’s participation. Irish broadcaster RTÉ, Netherlands’ AVROTROS, Spain’s RTVE, and Slovenia’s RTV immediately announced their withdrawal from the Eurovision competition in protest.

Last year’s contest saw Israel spent heavily on ads targeting public voters to support its singer Yuval Avraham, as it continued to bomb civilians in Gaza. Israel’s president Isaac Herzog has praised the decision to let Israel compete as an “appreciated gesture of solidarity, brotherhood, and co-operation, symbolising a victory over those who seek to silence Israel and spread hatred”.

Of course he did.

Well done Iceland; shame on the UK. And all those without the morals, humanity or backbone to join the boycott.

Featured image via the Canary