Dana International, Eurovision’s first openly transgender winner, has criticised the decision by several countries to boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, calling it “violent and insulting”.
The backlash comes after Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, and Slovenia announced they will not participate in next year’s contest. Iceland is expected to make a decision on its involvement on 10 December.
The boycott follows a vote by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) on 4 December, which approved rules allowing Israel to remain part of the competition, despite ongoing international concerns over the country’s military actions in Gaza.
‘You no longer want us singing with you?’
Taking to Instagram, Dana International – who won Eurovision for Israel in 1998 with her song Diva – addressed the boycotting countries directly. She noted that she had performed in each of them “numerous times” and had always been received “with warmth and love”.
“I sang a message of equality, acceptance, human dignity, and the basic rights of every person,” she wrote.
Defending Israel’s place in the competition, Dana stated that it is “the only country” in the Middle East with liberal values, pointing to Tel Aviv’s Pride, one of the largest LGBTQ+ events globally.
“We’ve been part of Eurovision for many years. Sometimes we succeed, sometimes we don’t.
So explain to me how and why you’ve turned against us? Do you understand how violent and insulting that decision is? How much it adds only hatred and harm?”
‘Punishing a country for political disagreements’
The 56-year-old singer acknowledged that many Israelis disagree with the government and criticised the recent war in Gaza, referencing the UN-endorsed ceasefire plan signed in October.
“It is legitimate to criticise it and resent how long it lasted,” she wrote.
“Nevertheless, it must not be forgotten that Israel is a country fighting for its existence, trying to balance security challenges with sanity and liberal values.”
She also pointed to the treatment of LGBTQ+ people in Gaza, stating:
“Hamas executes people for being gay. Almost every Eurovision winner would have been hanged in the town square in Gaza.”
Dana argued that withdrawing from Eurovision not only hurts Israel, but also damages the spirit of peace and unity that the contest represents.
“I believe this decision will be reversed, and that we will all celebrate together at Eurovision with this message of equality, love, and acceptance… Because that is what Eurovision is truly about.”
Rising tensions around Eurovision 2026
The countries involved in the boycott first signalled their intentions back in September, with Ireland’s broadcaster stating that participating was “unconscionable” given the “appalling loss of lives” and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Several former Eurovision contestants, including Bambie Thug, Nemo, and Mae Muller, have also publicly called for Israel to be excluded from the competition.
Controversy also surrounded Israel’s 2025 entry, Yuval Raphael, who finished second behind Austria’s JJ with the song New Day Will Rise. Raphael won the televote, sparking allegations of a manipulated voting campaign. In response, the EBU recently approved rules to prevent governments from coordinating such efforts.
Eurovision 2026 will be held in Vienna next May.
