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Highlights:

• Spain leads a growing boycott movement, with Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia also refusing to participate if Israel competes.
• The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is in crisis talks, extending its decision deadline to December 2025.
• The situation draws direct comparisons to Russia’s exclusion in 2022, creating a precedent the EBU must now navigate.
• The core dilemma pits Eurovision’s non-political ideals against the stark reality of a humanitarian crisis.

The Eurovision Song Contest, that glitter-drenched annual spectacle of pop and unity, is staring into the abyss. The escalating call for a Eurovision boycott over Israel's participation, against the backdrop of the ongoing Gaza conflict, has put the organisers into their most severe political crisis yet. This isn't just about another song entry but a fundamental clash between the contest's cherished apolitical fantasy and the inescapable geopolitics of the real world, threatening to tear the competition apart from within.

Spain announces withdrawal from Eurovision over Israel participation amid growing boycott movement Instagram/eurovision