Iceland has officially become the fifth country to pull out of the Eurovision Song Contest, citing the participation of Israel as the reason behind their withdrawal. This comes amidst growing controversy and division among the contest’s organizers and participating nations.

Stefan Eiriksson, the director-general of RÚV, Iceland’s national broadcaster, announced the decision, emphasizing the lack of harmony surrounding the event. “There is no peace or joy connected to this contest as things stand now. On that basis, first and foremost, we are stepping back while the situation is as it is,” Eiriksson stated.

The decision reflects concerns that Israel’s involvement has sparked discord not only within the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) but also among the broader public. RÚV highlighted that this disunity was a crucial factor in their decision to withdraw.

The RÚV board reached this resolution just before the deadline for countries to confirm their participation in the beloved music competition, underscoring the urgency and gravity of their choice.

The RUV board agreed the decision on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT), hours before the deadline for nations to confirm whether they will take part in the feel-good competition.

Last week the general assembly of the EBU, a group of public broadcasters from 56 countries that runs Eurovision, met to discuss concerns about Israel’s participation.

Members voted to adopt tougher contest voting rules in response to allegations that Israel manipulated the vote in favour of its competitor, but took no action to exclude any broadcaster from the competition.

Next May’s contest scheduled to be held in Vienna has been planned as a celebratory 70th anniversary edition.

The contest pits acts from dozens of nations, including Australia, against one another for the continent’s musical crown. It strives to put pop before politics, but has repeatedly been embroiled in world events.

Russia was expelled in 2022 after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The war in Gaza has been its biggest challenge, with pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrating against Israel outside the last two Eurovision contests in Basel, Switzerland, in May and Malmo, Sweden, in 2024.