Nemo, the winner of Eurovision 2024, has announced that he will return the trophy after Israel was allowed to participate next year.
In a statement posted on Instagram, he wrote that although he is very grateful for the recognition, he will no longer hold the trophy he won in this singing competition.
"Last year I won Eurovision and with it I was given the trophy. And although I am incredibly grateful for the community around this contest and for everything this experience has taught me as a person and as an artist, today I no longer feel that this trophy should be in my drawer," he wrote in the post.
The singer's decision comes a day after Iceland became the fifth country to boycott the 2026 competition due to Israel's participation, reports the British media outlet "Independent".
Iceland joined Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands in deciding not to take part in next year's competition, amid calls for Israel to be excluded over its actions in Gaza.
The EBU (European Broadcasting Union) had earlier withdrawn from calling for a vote on Israel's participation and instead adopted rules aimed at discouraging governments from influencing the contest.
Conservatives said it was "absolutely right" for Israel to be part of Eurovision.
Britain's shadow culture secretary, Nigel Huddleston, called it worrying that so many countries are boycotting Eurovision because of Israel's participation.
"It is deeply concerning to see so many countries choosing to boycott the event because of Israel's involvement. Music should be a unifying force, not a tool to be used for political purposes. We believe the government will rule out the possibility of unification or legitimization of this boycott in any form," Huddleston stated.
Meanwhile, Irish national broadcaster RTÉ has said it will not broadcast Eurovision next year, describing Israel's participation as "unjustifiable given the terrible loss of life in Gaza".
The 2026 contest will be held in Vienna in May, after Austria's representative, JJ, narrowly won the 2025 contest with the song "Wasted Love", beating Israeli singer Yuval Raphael.
Following the EBU's announcement of allowing Israel to participate, Israeli President Isaac Herzog wrote on social media that Israel deserves to be represented on every stage in the world.
"Israel deserves to be represented on every stage around the world, a cause to which I am fully and actively committed," Herzog declared.
The EBU has previously banned countries from participating. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has not been allowed to compete in Eurovision.