Overview
- Ireland’s public broadcaster RTÉ will not show the Eurovision final and will run a Father Ted episode in its place, citing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
- Graham Linehan, the sitcom’s co-creator, called the decision “disgraceful antisemitism” and started a petition that had more than 4,000 signatures, according to JTA.
- Other broadcasters are swapping out the show, with Spain’s TVE planning a live music special and Slovenia’s RTV scheduling Gaza documentaries.
- The Netherlands and Iceland declined to compete this year but will still broadcast the contest, while RTÉ, Spain and Slovenia opted not to air it at all.
- In Vienna, Israel’s entrant Noam Bettan faced boos and protest chants during a semi-final and then qualified for the final, telling the BBC he was shocked by the reaction.