Eurovision faces biggest boycott in 70-year history over Israel's inclusion

The Eurovision Song Contest is facing its largest boycott ever, with broadcasters from Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland, and Slovenia withdrawing from the 2026 event in protest of Israel's participation amid the Gaza war. Tensions escalated after Israel's near-win in 2025, where singer Yuval Raphael—a survivor of the Nova festival attack—topped the public vote despite middling jury scores. Critics allege government-backed vote manipulation, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's social media accounts urging maximum votes. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) defended the result as valid but reduced the maximum votes per viewer from 20 to 10 for 2026. The boycott follows years of geopolitical disputes, including Russia's expulsion in 2022 after its Ukraine invasion. Some broadcasters now argue no country at war should compete, citing Ukraine's 2022 win as politically motivated. The EBU has warned Israel's broadcaster Kan over promotional videos urging multiple votes. The controversy threatens Eurovision's founding principle of being "united by music" and raises questions about its future as a non-political contest.