🇮🇹 Italy: Three RAI Board Members Call for Italy to Withdraw from Eurovision 2026 if Israel Participates

Three members of the Board of Directors of RAI have stated that Italy should not participate in Eurovision 2026 if Israel does.

Alessandro di Majo, Davide Di Pietro and Roberto Natale, three of the seven members of the Board of Directors at RAI, have asked that RAI withdraw from Eurovision 2026 if Israel is allowed to participate. In a statement released today, the three board members explained:

“The wave of solidarity for Palestine that swept through Italy yesterday, bringing hundreds of thousands of people to the streets and also finding the support of many public service employees (as evidenced by the failure to broadcast various broadcasts) must also question RAI. In recent weeks, five public broadcasters have decided not to participate if Israel takes part in the contest. We ask that Italy do the same, giving a concrete sign of support to a people subjected to extermination.

Eurovision has always been an international event based on values of peace, inclusion, respect and brotherhood among peoples. However, the participation of countries involved in serious human rights violations risks profoundly compromising their meaning and credibility. Let us recall that precisely for this reason, in recent years, the EBU decided to exclude first Belarus and then (after the invasion of Ukraine) Russia.

In this context, Italy’s participation, without any form of dissent or symbolic gesture, could be interpreted as a silent legitimisation of what is happening. We believe instead that Italy, a founding country of the European Union and historically committed to the promotion of peace, must take a position consistent with its constitutional values and with the feelings of a large part of its citizens. Announcing this choice now is one more way to put pressure on Israel, make it feel isolated internationally and force it to stop the massacre: perhaps in time to return to the stage in Vienna.”

The comments from the board members come a day after a 24-hour strike across Italy, which aimed at pressuring the government to recognise Palestine as an independent nation, suspend commercial and military cooperation agreements with Israel, and to protect a flotilla of 60 boats crossing the Mediterranean carrying aid to Gaza.

RTVSLO (Slovenia), RTÉ (Ireland), AVROTROS (Netherlands) and RTVE (Spain) have all stated that they would not compete if Israel takes part in the 70th Eurovision Song Contest, while RÚV (Iceland) has stated it may withdraw.

RAI has yet to confirm their participation in Eurovision 2026.

Lucio Corsi represented Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with “Volevo essere un duro”. He finished 5th, scoring a total of 256 points.

Image source: Sarah Louise Bennett/EBU | Source: ANSA

Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest

Italy debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1956 and has participated a total of 42 times to date. Italy returned to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2011 having last participated in the contest in 1997. The country has withdrawn from the contest on a number of occasions in the past. Italy has won the contest three times, the first time being in 1964 and the latest being in 2021. Since their return in 2011, Italy has finished in the top 10 on eleven occasions.

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