Is Italy changing its stance on Israel? While once considered a supporter, senior executives at the Italian national broadcaster RAI now urge the country to boycott if Israel remains in Eurovision.
Contrary to what many in Israel thought until recently, Italy may not necessarily support Israel’s participation in the contest. Three members of the RAI board of directors — Italy’s public national broadcaster — have demanded that the organization announce it will not take part if Israel remains in the competition. They argue that such an early declaration would be “another way to increase pressure” on Israel.
They warned that Italy’s silent participation, with no form of protest, could be perceived as tacit legitimization of the events in Gaza, pointing out that five other countries — the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia, and Spain — have already stated they will not take part if Israel is included. It should be noted, however, that despite these claims, Iceland has not yet publicly confirmed it will boycott if Israel competes.
Alessandro di Majo, Davide Di Pietro, and Roberto Natale declared:
“RAI must also address the wave of solidarity with Palestine that swept through Italy yesterday, drawing hundreds of thousands of people to the streets and gaining the support of many public broadcasting employees, […] Already five public broadcasters in recent weeks have decided not to participate if Israel takes part in the event. We are asking Italy to do the same and send a tangible signal of closeness to a people facing annihilation”.
They further argued:
“Eurovision has always been an international event grounded in values of peace, inclusion, respect, and fraternity among nations. However, the participation of states involved in severe human rights violations can gravely undermine its meaning and credibility. Recall that precisely for this reason, the EBU previously decided to ban Belarus, and later (following the invasion of Ukraine), Russia. In this context, Italy’s presence — without symbolic protest — could be read as tacit legitimization of current events. We believe instead that Italy, as a founding member of the European Union and as a country historically committed to promoting peace, must take a stand consistent with its constitutional values and with the sentiments of many of its citizens. Announcing this move now is another way to increase pressure on Israel, to make it feel its international isolation, and to push it to stop the massacre: perhaps just in time to return to the Vienna stage”.
Will Italy Vote Against Israel’s Participation?
The structure of RAI’s board reveals a more complex picture regarding Italy’s stance. Of its seven members, two are appointed by the government, four by parliament, and one by the employees. Support for excluding Israel currently comes from two parliamentary appointees and the workers’ representative — not from government appointees. This means the Italian dispute is far more nuanced than Israel may have assumed, as only three of seven members currently support the boycott, far from a decisive majority.
Adding to these voices, several figures from Italy’s political system have come forward. Peppe De Cristofaro, leader of the “Greens and Left” parliamentary group in the Senate and a member of the supervisory committee on the national broadcaster, declared there is a need for tangible measures against Israel and said that a boycott announcement would represent “a clear act of protest”.
Israel Continues Preparations Despite Pressure
Despite rising threats and growing international pressure, Israel is continuing its preparations for Eurovision 2026 as planned. However, the coming months are expected to be particularly dramatic: the final decision will ultimately be shaped by both diplomatic and international political pressures, as well as the balance of support and opposition within countries like Italy. For now, the future of Israel’s Eurovision participation remains uncertain.
Italy at Eurovision 2025
“Volevo essere un duro” (in English: “I Wanted to Be Tough”) is the song performed by singer Lucio Corsi, which came second at the 75th edition of the Sanremo Festival. The song was written by the singer himself along with Tommaso Ottomano. This was the singer’s first-ever appearance at the festival. The song is performed in Italian. The song finished fifth in the grand final with 256 points.
Italy returns to the Eurovision Grand Final Top 5 after last year achieving “only” seventh place.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Italy’s 51st participation in Eurovision. Italy joined the contest in 1956, was one of the seven founding countries, and has won three times over the years. Italy’s most recent victory was at Eurovision 2021 with the song “Zitti e buoni” performed by the band Måneskin.
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Ilay Gaist is a leading Israeli content creator and writer specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He is a well-known commentator with extensive expertise in the contest’s history, rules, and dynamics. His passion for Eurovision drives him to deliver rich, professional, and innovative content to his audience.
Ilay holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic and has a multilingual background. He also engages in cultural research, with a particular focus on global culinary traditions and the evolution of local cuisines around the world.
