Slovenian broadcaster rejects sharing Eurovision stage with ‘Israel’
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- Slovenia withdraws from Eurovision 2026 over ‘Israel’ participation.
- Officials cite Gaza destruction and human rights concerns.
Slovenia’s public broadcaster has refused to share the same stage with ‘Israel’ at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, citing the devastation in Gaza and what it described as grave human rights violations.
Natalija Goršak, chair of the board of the Radio and TV Slovenia (RTVSLO), said the country couldn't participate in a competition that includes ‘Israel’, which she said had destroyed 92 percent of Gaza and killed more than 20,000 children and over 250 journalists.
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“We cannot share the same stage with ‘Israel’”, Goršak said in remarks to Anadolu Agency following the broadcaster’s decision to boycott Eurovision 2026. “It is impossible to speak about the unifying role of music with representatives of a system that does not respect human rights. We are a public broadcaster and must uphold high ethical values”.
Slovenia announced on December four its official withdrawal from the contest, scheduled to be held in Austria, after the European Broadcasting Union confirmed ‘Israel’ would be allowed to participate.
Goršak said the decision was taken “out of respect for the people of Gaza”, adding, “We believe history will show that we were on the right side”.
The Slovenian Ministry of Culture said it fully supports the broadcaster’s move, stressing that RTVSLO operates independently with editorial, financial, and institutional autonomy. In a statement, the ministry said it backs the decision while calling for increased diplomatic pressure on ‘Israel’.
“There must be an end as soon as possible to the violations committed against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank”, the statement said.
Slovenia is among at least five European countries, alongside Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Iceland, that have announced their withdrawal from Eurovision in protest over ‘Israel’s’ inclusion. The withdrawals followed the European Broadcasting Union’s decision to allow ‘Israel’ to compete.
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Eurovision, organized since 1956, is the world’s largest non-sporting televised event by audience size.
In May, nearly 4,000 artists from five Nordic countries, including past Eurovision participants, signed a petition calling for ‘Israel’ to be excluded from the contest, arguing that its participation amounts to “whitewashing” genocidal crimes in Gaza.
‘Israel’s’ war on Gaza, which began on October 8, 2023 and lasted two years, left more than 70,000 Palestinians killed and over 171,000 wounded, most of them women and children.
