RUV, Iceland’s public broadcaster, announced the decision after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) confirmed Israel would remain in the lineup for the May contest in Vienna.
“Given the public debate in this country and the reactions to the decision of the EBU that was taken last week, it is clear that neither joy nor peace will prevail regarding the participation of RUV in Eurovision. It is therefore the conclusion of RUV to notify the EBU today that RUV will not take part in Eurovision next year,” the broadcaster said.
“The Song Contest and Eurovision have always had the aim of uniting the Icelandic nation but it is now clear that this aim cannot be achieved and it is on these program-related grounds that this decision is taken,” RUV added.
Separately, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia had already withdrawn, also citing Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
Those broadcasters sought a vote on Israel’s participation, but the EBU declined to hold one, saying updated rules prevent government influence over contest decisions.
In a related development, critics of Israel’s inclusion point to double standards, noting that Russia faced swift bans from FIFA and UEFA within days of the outbreal of the Ukraine war in 2022.
According to Gaza health authorities, at least 70,354 Palestinians — most of them women and children — have been killed and 171,000 wounded since October 2023 in a two-year war that has devastated the territory.
Meanwhile, a United Nations Commission of Inquiry established by the UN Human Rights Council concluded that Israeli authorities “intended to kill as many Palestinians as possible” and have committed the crime against humanity of extermination.
The commission said that, in the “most authoritative assessment” to date, Israel has committed and continues to commit genocide in Gaza.
The report detailed direct targeting of civilians, including children, and mass killings in “far larger numbers” than in previous conflicts.