Austrian FM urges countries not to boycott Eurovision over Israel’s participation

ZURICH, Switzerland – Austria’s foreign minister has appealed to countries not to boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest — due to be held in Vienna — over Israel’s participation and concerns about the war in Gaza.

The Spanish state broadcaster RTVE’s board voted on Tuesday to withdraw from the 2026 event if Israel participates, becoming the fifth country to make such a pledge.

The Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland, and Ireland have made similar pledges, while the Belgian broadcaster VRT has said it supports their stance.

Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger writes to colleagues in the six countries, saying she was concerned about boycotts creating division and not improving the situation in Gaza.

“As foreign minister of the host country, I am deeply concerned about the risk of a rift between the members of the European Broadcasting Union on this issue,” she writes in the letter that has been seen by Reuters.

“Such a rift would only deepen the discord and preclude opportunities for important dialogue between artists and the public — without improving the situation on the ground in Israel and Gaza,” Meinl-Reisinger adds.

Although conflict and humanitarian suffering could not be ignored, Eurovision was not a suitable arena for sanctions, she writes.

“Excluding Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest or boycotting the event would neither alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza nor contribute to a sustainable political solution,” Meinl-Reisinger writes.