• Slovenia, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland have announced they will withdraw in protest of decision, with others signaling similar intentions
• 'If Israel is included among the participating countries, RTV Slovenia will not take part in the competition,' public broadcaster tells Anadolu

BRUSSELS

Slovenia's public broadcaster RTV said Friday that its position on the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 "remains unchanged," reaffirming that it will not take part in the competition if Israel is included among the participating countries.

The statement came following the conclusions of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) General Assembly, where member states discussed Israel's participation amid growing calls for a boycott.

RTV Slovenia told Anadolu that the recent rule changes adopted by the EBU "do not alter" its view, stressing that as a public service broadcaster, it is committed to ethical standards and expects equal rules to apply to all members.

"We remain guided by the values of peace, respect, and equality among nations," the broadcaster said, adding that these principles must be consistently applied across all EBU projects.

"Following the conclusions of the EBU General Assembly, RTV Slovenia's position regarding the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 remains unchanged: if Israel is included among the participating countries, RTV Slovenia will not take part in the competition," it added.

The EBU confirmed on Thursday that Israel will be able to participate in next year's contest, which will take place in Vienna, Austria, as members decided not to hold a vote specifically on Israel’s participation despite requests from several broadcasters.

RTV Slovenia, along with public broadcasters from Spain, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Türkiye, Algeria and Iceland, had called for a secret vote on Israel's participation, but the proposal was not accepted.

Instead, members voted only on whether Eurovision should proceed under the currently planned scenario, which includes a package of measures related to the voting system but excludes a vote on member participation.

'We cannot stand on same stage with a country that caused genocide'

"We believe that the EBU could have shown a principled and ethical stance here. For more than a year, we have been warning that we cannot stand on the same stage with a representative of a country that caused the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza," TV Slovenia Director Ksenija Horvat told the broadcaster following the meeting.

Horvat highlighted that Gaza remains inaccessible to foreign journalists and that civilians "are still dying in unbearable humanitarian and security conditions."

Addressing members before the decision, Natalija Gorscak, the president of the board of RTV, recalled that the EBU banned Russia from Eurovision just a week after the war started in Ukraine, yet "does not dare reject Israel."

She noted that last year's Israeli performance was political, adding: "We are all in a trap. We are hostages of the political interests of the Israeli government."

Alongside Slovenia, Spain, the Netherlands, and Ireland have so far decided that they will not participate in the contest under the current conditions, while Belgium and Iceland will hold further discussions.

Competition draws criticism

Israel's participation in the contest has long been contentious. Following the last event in Basel, Switzerland, where Israel came close to winning, calls for its exclusion have intensified amid the heavy civilian death toll in Gaza.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed more than 70,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured nearly 171,000 others. Several experts, including those appointed by a UN body, have stated that Israel's attacks in Gaza constitute genocide.

Russia was barred from Eurovision following the war that started in Ukraine in 2022, while Israel has continued participating over the past two years amid ongoing controversies.

The EBU, however, supports Israel's ongoing participation in the contest, emphasizing its commitment to inclusiveness and neutrality.