The director of the Eurovision Song Contest has been criticised for failing to mention Gaza in an open letter published in response to countries boycotting next year’s event.

In the letter published on 11 December, one week after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) confirmed that Eurovision 2026 would continue with Israel participating, Martin Green addressed fans who are “feeling strong emotions”.

“I also know you feel strongly about events in the Middle East and how those realities connect to the Eurovision Song Contest. No one can fail to be moved by what we have seen in the region in the past few years,” he wrote, referring to the Israel-Hamas conflict which has resulted in the deaths of more than 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza and more than 2,000 Israelis.

Responding to fans who had written to him to express their anger “at what they see as silence in the face of tragedy”, Martin wrote: “I want to say that we hear you. We understand why you feel so strongly and that we care too.”

He went on to recall the contest’s origins as a post World War contest of unity and celebration, and stressed his hope that Eurovision would continue to be a “place where friendships are forged, languages are learned and new genres and artists are discovered”.

Green addressed the five countries that have withdrawn from the contest in protest of Israel’s inclusion – Spain, Ireland, Iceland, the Netherlands and Slovenia – writing that Eurovision organisers “respect their position and decision” and stressed that he would not “tolerate” countries who break Eurovision rules at the 2026 contest.

He also told fans that the contest could only continue “by ensuring we are guided by our rules first and foremost”.

The letter was slammed by some Eurovision fans as a “pile of garbage” and “word salad”, while José Pablo López – the president of Spain’s national broadcaster RTVE, condemned Green for failing to “call things by their name”.

“Today, Martin Green has addressed the public in a letter,” López began his statement on X, formerly Twitter.

“He does so with the Festival in flames, five countries withdrawn, artists who will not accept the national preselection to go to Eurovision, major Festival stars positioning themselves against Israel’s participation, and the greatest reputational crisis in the history of the EBU.”

He continued: “Green does not mention Gaza or Israel in his letter, that is, he does not call things by their name. They are ‘events’ that have happened in the Middle East and that move him. Is a genocide an event? Nothing more? That said, Green is listening to you, the fans. That’s as far as his job goes: listening.”

A United Nations commission of inquiry, published in September, concluded that Israel is committing a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel’s foreign ministry refuted the conclusion, while the British government has also said that it has “not concluded” that Israel is committing genocide. 

López questioned why Green had only now affirmed his commitment to calling out rule-breakers, considering allegations that the Israeli government had used advertising campaigns to boost its 2025 entrant Yuval Raphael into second place at the contest back in May.

“And the violations of these two years by Israel? Water under the bridge? Are the rules applied as suits the EBU based on its geopolitical and economic alliances?” López wrote.

He rounded off by writing that Green “has some nerve” for stating that Eurovision would be guided by its own rules.

“Above all, I must acknowledge he has some nerve to say this after the very night the new rules were voted on, Israel assured that it had politically influenced the delegations to manage to remain in Eurovision. What else is left for us to see?” 

PinkNews has contacted Eurovision organisers for comment.

Last week, EBU members voted in favour of bringing in new rules that would restrict governments and third parties from disproportionately campaigning to promote their country’s acts. The vote also meant that no further discussion on Israel’s inclusion in the contest would take place.

In addition to the five countries confirmed to not be competing in Eurovision 2026, Eurovision content creators and unaffiliated event organisers have begun announcing that they too will step back from the event next year.

Nemo, who won Eurovision for Switzerland in 2024, yesterday (11 December) announced that they would be returning their trophy back to the EBU in protest against Israel being allowed to compete.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place in Vienna in May, marking the contest’s 70th anniversary.

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