The national broadcasters for both Netherlands and Ireland announced this week they will not compete in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if Israel also participates due to the country’s military actions in the Gaza Strip during the current Israel-Hamas war.

Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS made the announcement on Friday, a day after Irish broadcaster RTE said it will not join the Eurovision “if the participation of Israel goes ahead.”

“AVROTROS can no longer justify Israel’s participation in the current situation, given the ongoing and severe human suffering in Gaza,” the Dutch company said in a statement. The broadcaster said its participation in the 2026 Eurovision “will not be possible as long as Israel is admitted by the EBU [European Broadcasting Union].” AVROTROS explained that if the EBU bans Israel from the international competition, the Dutch broadcaster “will gladly take part” in the Eurovision next year.

The organization, which is part of the Dutch public broadcasting umbrella NPO, manages Dutch participation in the Eurovision and holds broadcasting rights for the competition. The Netherlands has participated in the contest since its first year, back in 1956, and has won five times.

RTE Director General Kevin Bakhurst said the Irish broadcaster’s participation in the Eurovision alongside Israel would be “unconscionable” because of the “ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza.” Ireland’s Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers said he supports and “absolutely respect[s]” RTÉ’s decision. Ireland has participated in the song contest since 1965 and has won the competition seven times.

The national broadcasters of Spain, Slovenia, and Iceland have also threatened to boycott the 2026 Eurovision if Israel participates. Broadcasters have until mid-December to pull out of the 2026 Eurovision in Vienna, Austria, without any penalty. The EBU is expected to make a decision about Israel’s participation before the end of the year at its General Assembly.

“We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. We are still consulting with all EBU members to gather views on how we manage participation and geopolitical tensions around the Eurovision Song Contest,” Eurovision director Martin Green said in a statement. “It is up to each member to decide if they want to take part in the contest and we would respect any decision broadcasters make.”

The 2026 Eurovision will take place in Vienna in May. Austrian singer JJ won this year’s competition in Basel, Switzerland, with his song “Wasted Love,” and he has also called for Israel to be banned from the 2026 competition.

An American Orthodox Jewish couple was physically assaulted in Venice by a group of anti-Israel agitators, drawing condemnation from the city’s mayor amid a surge of antisemitic incidents targeting Italy’s Jewish community.

Last weekend, a Jewish couple was walking through Venice in traditional Orthodox clothing when three assailants confronted them, shouted insults including “Free Palestine,” and physically attacked them, slapping both.

According to local Italian reports, authorities apprehended the three assailants, who are believed to be of North African origin. Two of them were issued expulsion orders and the third was deported.

Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro strongly condemned the incident as a “serious and unacceptable act,” assuring the local Jewish community of the city’s commitment to their safety.

“Venice is and must continue to be an open, welcoming, and safe city, where mutual respect forms the foundation of civil coexistence,” Brugnaro said in a post on X.

“The aggression suffered by two American citizens of Jewish faith is a serious and unacceptable act, which I condemn with the utmost firmness,” he continued.

The local Jewish community also denounced the attack, pointing to the escalating climate of intolerance and the targeted incidents they have experienced since the start of the war in Gaza.

“Reiterating its condemnation of this vile and ignoble act, the Jewish community emphasizes that episodes like these certainly raise questions about Venice’s role as a welcoming city, while a climate of intolerance is emerging that today affects the entire Venetian community,” the statement read.

This incident follows another attack on a Jewish couple in Venice last month, when a man and his pregnant wife were harassed near the city center by three unknown individuals.

The attackers approached the couple, shouting antisemitic insults and calling the husband a “dirty Jew,” while physically assaulting them by throwing water and spitting on them.

One of the assailants later set his dog on the couple in an attempt to intimidate them before the group stole their phones.

These incidents come amid a surge in antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment across Europe and around the world since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

In Italy, Jewish individuals have been facing a surge in hostility and targeted attacks, including vandalism of murals and businesses, as well as physical assaults. Community leaders have warned that such incidents are becoming more frequent amid growing tensions related to the war in Gaza.

Earlier this summer, a Jewish man from France and his child were verbally assaulted at a gas station near Milan by a group of pro-Palestinian activists who shouted antisemitic slurs after seeing the child wearing a kippah, yelling phrases such as “Free Palestine” and “murderers” as they passed by.

In a separate incident, a masked individual targeted a synagogue in Rome, spray-painting a swastika and antisemitic slogans — “Sieg Heil” (“Hail Victory”) and “Juden Raus” (“Jews Out”) — on a sign near the entrance.

In May, a restaurant in Naples forced an Israeli family to leave, telling them, “Zionists are not welcome here.”

Earlier this year, a homeless Egyptian man in Rome attacked a Jewish boy and injured a shopkeeper who tried to intervene. In a separate incident, anti-Israel protesters defaced a synagogue with graffiti reading “Justice for a Free Gaza.”

Last year, a hotel manager in Rome canceled an Israeli couple’s reservation just one day before their trip, accusing them of genocide and telling them the hotel would “be happy to grant free cancellation.”

“We inform you that the Israeli people as those responsible for genocide are not welcome customers in our structure,” the hotel manager told the Israeli couple.

The Jewish communities of the US and Israel mourned conservative political activist Charlie Kirk in the aftermath of his assassination on Wednesday, describing him as a champion of free speech and supporter of the Jewish state who was killed out of pure hatred.

Kirk, 31, was shot and killed during a speaking event at Utah Valley University, where he was engaging in dialogue with students. He is survived by his wife and two young children. A young Utah man — Tyler Robinson, 22 — was taken into custody on Thursday night as the suspected shooter, about 33 hours after the assassination, according to state and federal law enforcement.

Kirk was an outspoken supporter of Israel and advocate against antisemitism. He regularly debated students on the subject of Israel and brought his ideas to young people at a time when, according to recent polling, that age group was turning decidedly against the Jewish state. 

“There’s a dark Jew hate out there, and I see it,” Kirk told a student during a podcast episode which aired earlier this year. “Don’t get yourself involved in that. I’m telling you it will rot your brain. It’s bad for your soul. It’s bad. It’s evil. I think it’s demonic.”

In response to Kirk’s murder, Jewish groups and leaders across the US and Israel expressed their grief and horror.

“Charlie Kirk was murdered for speaking truth and defending freedom. A lion-hearted friend of Israel, he fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on X.

“I spoke to him only two weeks ago and invited him to Israel. Sadly, that visit will not take place. We lost an incredible human being. His boundless pride in America and his valiant belief in free speech will leave a lasting impact,” Netanyahu continued.

“I am shocked by the tragic murder of Charlie Kirk. Israel has lost a true friend and huge ally,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog added in his own statement. :I strongly condemn this terrible act of violence, and together with all the Israeli people, send my thoughts and prayers to Charlie’s wife, children, and all his loved ones.”

Similarly, the X account of the State of Israel emphasized that Kirk “was a steadfast friend of Israel and a true ally of the Jewish people. He stood proudly for the Judeo-Christian values that bind Israel and America. Charlie’s fearless commitment to truth and freedom cost him his life. Violence may have taken him, but it cannot silence his legacy. May his memory be a blessing.”

Charlie Kirk was a steadfast friend of Israel and a true ally of the Jewish people.
He stood proudly for the Judeo-Christian values that bind Israel and America.

Charlie’s fearless commitment to truth and freedom cost him his life.
Violence may have taken him, but it cannot… pic.twitter.com/n76RDO9Dem

— Israel ישראל (@Israel) September 11, 2025

In addition to Israeli leaders expressing their shock and grief, so too did the religious movements of American Jewry.

The Orthodox Union posted on X a straightforward question: “What has become of us?”

“Today, September 10, is a day for our nation to strengthen its internal bonds as we prepare to commemorate the devastation brought upon America by enemies who continue to threaten us,”the group wrote. “Instead of coming together, we have witnessed another horrific act of political violence, another effort to tear our country apart. This must stop. We pray for the family of Charlie Kirk and for the future of the United States of America.”

The Religious Action Center, the political arm of the Reform movement, posted on BlueSky, “We are horrified by the violent attack on Charlie Kirk today in Utah. Yet again, the scourge of gun violence has caused terrible harm. We are praying for Mr. Kirk’s well-being and full recovery. Political violence has no place in our culture.”

And the Union for Reform Judaism added that “we remember that the nation’s future depends on overcoming our differences in ways that respect the humanity of those with whom we disagree.”

Jewish communal organizations made statements as well. 

“This disturbing act of political violence has no place in our society and must be condemned across the political spectrum,” the American Jewish Committee posted on X. “We are heartbroken and outraged by the murder of Charlie Kirk and this horrific act of senseless violence. Our hearts are with Charlie’s beloved young family. May his memory be a blessing.”

Jonathan Greenblat, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, wrote on X that “the murder of Charlie Kirk is terrifying, and we condemn the violence. Our deepest condolences to his family.”

Kirk was the founder of the conservative political organization Turning Point USA (TPUSA), which aimed to engage the youth vote and turn Gen Z into conservative voters and activists.