State broadcaster RÚV had said in September that the country’s participation was uncertain.
After Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands withdrew from the Eurovision Song Contest amid controversy surround Israeli participation, Iceland’s public broadcaster RÚV announced on Wednesday that the country will not be participating in the multi-national competition next year.
In a statement signed by Director General Stefán Eiríksson, the broadcaster said, “The participation of the Israeli public broadcaster KAN in the contest has recently caused disunity, both among the member stations of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), and the public.”
RÚV’s statement said Eiríksson brought up Iceland’s concerns regarding Israel at the EBU’s meeting in Geneva, but that the question was not voted on. The broadcaster faced mounting pressure from artists’ associations and the public to withdraw from Eurovision, it said.
“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 RÚV in Eurovision,” the statement 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.”
The BBC quoted KAN Chief Executive Golan Yochpaz saying, “The attempt to remove KAN from the contest can only be understood as a cultural boycott.” He added, “A boycott may begin today with Israel, but no one knows where it will end or who else it may harm.”
With Iceland out of the contest, all five countries threatening a boycott of the competition in the lead-up to the EBU’s Geneva meeting have followed through with their threats to leave. Finland’s Yle, which said it was unsure if it would take part after the meeting, confirmed its participation on December 5.
Austrian broadcaster ORF has maintained its commitment to hosting the competition, despite the financial pressure it faces from multiple participating networks leaving.
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