Posted on 05/11/2026 12:50:15 PM PDT by Olog-hai
RTÉ and other public service broadcasters in Slovenia and Spain will not show the Eurovision Song Contest this week as they boycott the event over Israel’s participation.
The world’s biggest live televised music event holds its first semi-final in the Austrian capital Vienna on Tuesday, bringing together participants from 35 countries — the fewest since entry was expanded in 2004.
Five countries — Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain — are boycotting the contest over Israel’s war in Gaza. […]
During Saturday’s grand final, RTÉ One will show the animated family comedy Mummies and the acclaimed John McGahern adaptation That They May Face the Rising Sun.
On the night, RTÉ2 will repeat the Father Ted Eurovision episode A Song for Europe at 9pm, followed by The Saturday Game. …
(Excerpt) Read more at rte.ie ...
While it is terrible that RTÉ are boycotting the event, the Irish government indeed acted in a pro-Allies way in WW 2, though the impoverished country was not able so send troops of its own.
Still, it did a lot to aid the Allied war effort:
A) It sent tens of thousands of workers to England to work in factories and on farms as substitutes for British men who had enlisted,
B) Thousands of Irish volunteers served in the British Armed Forces,
C) Aviators who bailed out over Irish territory were sent home asap if they were with the Allies, and interned if they were with the Axis.
The condolences to the ambassador in 1945 were nothing more than an observation of diplomatic protocol. It was to save the ambassador’s face - nothing more.
Sorry, to blame the Irish government just for observing diplomatic customs doesn’t seem very helpful to my humble eyes…
Unfortunately, you always will have a number of collaborators - no matter who occupies your country. Some will do it to curry favor with the Mighty Ones, others do it to survive, some don’t care etc. etc.
Many nations had a very hard time coming to grips with this fact after 1945.
In some cases, this is still a taboo - or it was until very recently. Poland and Korea being cases in point, though even there, uncomfortable truths are being discussed more openly than just a few years ago.
May both countries be able to heal eventually!🙂
I still remember her and her hits « Im Nin’alu » and « El Shaddai » very fondly.
And it was such a bitter loss when she had to die so young😭
Cancer is a real scourge and a blight upon humanity!
Israel isn’t a European country. Why are they even allowed into the contest??
They aren’t the only one. Australia, Azerbaijan and Georgia (former SSR) also compete, as did Morocco one year. Apparently, membership in the European Broadcasting Union is the qualification rather than geographical location.
I bet they will eventually add Canada.
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