Trending Now - Irish Writer Criticizes Rté's Eurovision Boycott as Antisemitic

WHO:

The Times of Israel - Irish writer Graham Linehan

NME - RTÉ's Director General Kevin Bakhurst

NME - Cultural workers and artists, including Brian Eno, Massive Attack, and Roger Waters, signed an open letter

WHAT:

The Times of Israel - RTÉ decided not to air the Eurovision Song Contest in protest of Israel's participation

NME - RTÉ is set to air an episode of "Father Ted" titled "A Song For Europe" instead of the Eurovision final

NME - Linehan accused RTÉ of using "Father Ted" as a tool of antisemitic harassment

NME - Over 1,100 cultural workers and artists signed an open letter calling for a boycott of Eurovision unless Israel is banned from participating

WHERE:

The Times of Israel - Dublin, Ireland

NME - Vienna, Austria (location of the Eurovision Song Contest)

WHEN:

NME - The Eurovision Song Contest final is scheduled for Saturday (May 16)

NME - The open letter was first shared on April 21, 2026

WHY:

The Times of Israel - RTÉ's boycott is in response to Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip

NME - Linehan stated that RTÉ's actions are not a principled humanitarian stand but rather antisemitism disguised as human rights advocacy

HOW:

The Times of Israel - RTÉ expressed that participation in Eurovision is "unconscionable" due to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza

NME - Linehan set up a petition demanding the resignation of RTÉ's Director General for the use of "Father Ted" in the boycott

(UPDATED May 13, 2026 04:19 UTC)

RTÉ has decided not to air the Eurovision Song Contest in protest of Israel's participation, opting instead to broadcast an episode of "Father Ted" titled "A Song For Europe" on May 16. This decision has drawn criticism from Irish writer Graham Linehan, who accused RTÉ of using the show as a tool of antisemitic harassment, while over 1,100 cultural workers and artists signed an open letter calling for a boycott of Eurovision unless Israel is banned from participating. RTÉ stated that their boycott is a response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, declaring participation in the contest "unconscionable."