Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia will walk away from the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest after Israel was cleared Thursday to take its spot next year.

The BBC reports they were among a number of countries who had called for Israel to be excluded over its response to the murderous Hamas terrorist attack in October, 2023.

A meeting in Geneva decided by a “large majority” of members agreed there was no need for a further vote on participation and that Eurovision 2026 could proceed as planned, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said.

Spanish broadcaster RTVE, which had led calls for a secret ballot on the issue, said the decision had increased its “distrust of the festival’s organisation,” the BBC report notes.

Ireland’s RTÉ despaired its “participation remains unconscionable

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