LGBTQ campaigners and queer advocacy groups accused the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) of “pinkwashing” Israel on Friday, the day before the Eurovision Song Contest final in Vienna. The 2026 edition of the contest has been enveloped in controversy following the EBU’s December decision to allow Israel to compete. Activists are now urging the LGBTQ community — historically one of Eurovision’s core audiences — to boycott Saturday’s broadcast.
Thursday evening’s show included a pre-recorded message about the LGBTQ community, detailing the history of the contest and its openness to the community. Queer campaigners responded by saying the segment illustrated exactly the kind of reputation-laundering they oppose. The term “pinkwashing” refers to the use of LGBTQ inclusion as a tool to deflect attention from other state conduct.
Omar Khatib, a queer Palestinian writer and organiser from Jerusalem, told Middle East Eye that people faced a clear choice. “Either you are against genocide and against the mass killing of Palestinians, or you are willing to normalise and coexist with it,” he said.
Khatib rejected the contest’s claims of political neutrality, telling Middle East Eye that Eurovision had become a stage where “liberalism, nationalism and colonialism intersect under the language of diversity and inclusion.” He added that Israel’s participation was not viewed by queer Palestinians as simply another entry in a song competition, but as “part of a broader propaganda effort that weaponises queer existence in service of state violence.”
The calls for a boycott have extended beyond individual voices. Activists from Queers for Palestine, who held a symposium in London last month, urged LGBTQ people who might otherwise watch the Eurovision final to instead join the queer bloc at the annual Nakba Day demonstration in the capital, commemorating the 1948 expulsion of Palestinians during the creation of the State of Israel.
Tara, a member of Queers for Palestine, told Middle East Eye that the moment called for more than passive viewership. She suggested that supporters could “organise a demonstration or a campaign asking your local LGBT venue to cancel their Eurovision screening, or show up with leaflets and explain to those attending how Eurovision enables settler-colonialism and genocide.” “As queer activists, we love freedom and dignity for everyone and we want to contribute to the end of this oppression,” she said.
The boycott movement has drawn support from artists as well. Big Joanie, a feminist punk band, was one of more than 2,000 signatories to a No Music For Genocide petition condemning Israel’s participation in Eurovision and calling for a boycott. Lead singer and guitarist Stephanie Phillips told Middle East Eye the desire to enjoy the contest could not override the reality unfolding in Gaza.
“I think there is definitely merit for an accusation of pinkwashing,” Phillips said. “While I fully understand that Eurovision means a lot to the LGBTQ+ community, I also think it does not cancel out the reality that many Palestinians are living right now — there are LGBTQ+ Palestinians as well and I doubt they feel represented or seen by the choices of Eurovision.”
Widespread Pushback and Disruptions
There have been demonstrations throughout Vienna, while numerous pro-Palestine campaigners have been expelled for protesting during the show. Audible booing and cries of “stop the genocide” have accompanied Israel’s performances.
Spain, Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia and the Netherlands chose not to participate over Israel’s involvement. Spanish, Slovenian and Irish public broadcasters have also said they will not air Saturday’s final, directly shrinking the show’s audience. The 2026 final is expected to be the least watched in the competition’s history. Audience figures during the semi-finals have already slumped across major markets, according to Eurovision viewership data reported by Eurovision Fun.
The New York Times reported earlier this week that Israel had spent more than $1 million on using Eurovision as a “soft power” tool to “burnish the country’s flagging reputation and rally international support,” and that the promotional campaign began in 2018 as questions about Israel’s participation grew amid its continued expansion and military operations in the occupied Palestinian territories.
A 2025 Pew Research Center survey found 47 percent of Israelis view homosexuality as “morally unacceptable,” and queer Palestinians have also been targets of Israeli intelligence operations, with accounts of blackmail used to coerce collaboration with occupation forces. While homosexuality is legal in Israel and adoption by same-sex couples is permitted, same-sex marriage has not been legalised there.
Impact on Eurovision’s Future
The controversy has prompted serious questions about the contest’s long-term credibility. Danish 2013 Eurovision winner Emmelie de Forest told Middle East Eye that the contest’s decisions “increasingly leave people feeling conflicted, divided or alienated from it.”
“I think it has already done a lot of damage to Eurovision, and that makes me genuinely sad to say because the contest has been such a meaningful part of my life,” de Forest said. “I sadly think the contest is creating more division than unity. The controversy surrounding Israel’s participation, the backlash from fans and artists, the countries withdrawing and the growing distrust toward the EBU have all fundamentally changed the atmosphere around Eurovision.”
Background
Eurovision typically reaches more than 150 million viewers worldwide across its 25-country final. The EBU announced in December 2025 that Israel would be permitted to compete in the 2026 contest, held in Vienna, Austria. Israel has historically promoted Tel Aviv as a regional hub for the LGBTQ community. The Nakba Day demonstration referenced by Queers for Palestine marks the displacement of an estimated 700,000 Palestinians in 1948 during Israel’s founding. The No Music For Genocide petition, which gathered more than 2,000 artist signatories, is one of several formal industry-level objections to Israel’s participation this year.
What Happens Next
Israel will compete in Saturday’s Eurovision final in Vienna alongside Finland, Greece, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Norway, Romania, Malta, Cyprus, Albania, Denmark and the Czech Republic. A pro-Palestine event featuring speeches and a concert was scheduled for Friday afternoon in central Vienna, running in parallel with Eurovision rehearsals. Spanish, Slovenian and Irish public broadcasters have confirmed they will not air Saturday’s final. The EBU has not announced any change to Israel’s participation status ahead of the broadcast.
