Public broadcasters in Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Spain said Thursday they will boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, after the European Broadcasting Union refused to hold a vote on whether to exclude Israel. This is José Pablo López, president of Spain’s national broadcaster. 

José Pablo López: “We maintain the same position we had months ago when we said Israel’s participation in the Eurovision festival was untenable for two main reasons, firstly because the genocide it has perpetuated in Gaza. As president of the corporation, I keep thinking that Eurovision is a contest, but human rights are not a contest.”

Eurovision is among the most popular TV and online events in the world; last year, viewers from 156 countries cast votes for their favorite contestants.