RTÉ to show ‘Father Ted’ instead of Eurovision in Israel protest, Graham Linehan calls it “antisemitic harrassment”
Irish broadcaster RTÉ has confirmed plans to show Father Ted rather than Eurovision in protest against Israel’s involvement in the ceremony.
Ireland is one of several countries to have withdrawn from competing in Eurovision in 2026 due to Israel’s participation, alongside Spain, Iceland, the Netherlands and Slovenia.
Now, Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ has gone a step further by confirming it will air the Eurovision special of the beloved sitcom Father Ted on RTÉ 2 rather than showcasing the singing competition, which is due to take place on May 16th in Vienna, Austria.
Similarly, the Slovenian national broadcaster will also not be showing Eurovision amid the boycott. Instead, they will be airing Voices of Palestine, a series of documentaries on the Middle East.
However, Father Ted creator Graham Linehan, who has become a vocal supporter of Israel in recent years, has aired his anger on social media with RTÉ for their decision to air his show instead of the 70th edition of Eurovision.
Taking to X, Linehan shared a link to a petition, which he created, calling for RTÉ’s director general, Kevin Bakhurst, to resign, writing, “Please join me in demanding the resignation of RTE’s Director General for using Father Ted as a tool of antisemitic harassment.”
In the petition, which as of writing has 888 signatories, Linehan wrote, “RTÉ has chosen to boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest solely because Israel is participating. This is not a principled humanitarian stand. It is antisemitism — the oldest hatred — dressed up in the language of human rights.”
He also wrote, “To compound this disgrace, RTÉ has chosen to fill the Eurovision slot on Saturday night with my show — the Father Ted Eurovision episode, ‘A Song for Europe’ — as an act of pointed, gleeful counter-programming. I did not give my permission for Father Ted to be used as a prop in an antisemitic political gesture. I object to it in the strongest possible terms.”
Linehan continued, “This is not the Ireland I know. This is not the Ireland that gave Father Ted to the world. RTÉ’s institutional antisemitism is poisoning Irish public life, normalising Jew-hatred under the guise of solidarity, and it must be confronted.”
When RTÉ confirmed that Ireland would not compete unless Israel were pulled from the competition last September, Bakhurst explained on behalf of the broadcaster, “RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation would be unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza.”
He also highlighted “the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza, and the denial of access to international journalists to the territory, and the plight of the remaining hostages”, which RTÉ found “deeply concerning”.
Israel won the public vote at the 2025 ceremony, but was pipped to the top spot by Austria due to the jury vote.
Last month, a number of prominent musicians, including Massive Attack, Paul Weller and Kneecap, called for a boycott of Eurovision due to Israel’s involvement.
It was also signed by Brian Eno, Paloma Faith, Hot Chip, Of Monsters and Men, IDLES, Primal Scream, Sigur Rós, Young Fathers, Mogwai, Black Country New Road, Erika de Casier, Nadine Shah, and Dry Cleaning.
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