Demand RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst Resign Over Antisemitic Eurovision Boycott
My name is Graham Linehan. I am the co-creator of Father Ted, one of the most beloved Irish television comedies ever made. I am writing this petition with anger, and with grief — for what RTÉ has become, and for what it is doing to Ireland's reputation.
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. Singling out the world's only Jewish state for exclusion, while no such standard is applied to any other nation, meets the internationally recognised IHRA definition of antisemitism. RTÉ has not boycotted Russia, Belarus, or Azerbaijan. It has boycotted Israel. The message is clear.
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.
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.
We, the undersigned, demand:
- That RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst resign immediately, or be dismissed by the RTÉ Board and the Irish Government.
- That RTÉ issue a full and unreserved apology for its decision to boycott Eurovision on antisemitic grounds.
- That the Irish Minister for Media launch an independent review of antisemitism within RTÉ's editorial decision-making.
Ireland is better than this. RTÉ must be held accountable.
Graham Linehan
Co-creator, Father Ted
Updates
Reached 2,500 supporters
May 12, 2026
Reached 1,000 supporters
May 12, 2026
Reached 100 supporters
May 11, 2026
1,145 Comments
I think RTÉ's decision to boycott this year's Eurovision Song Contest also calls into question whether our national broadcaster can be relied upon to report on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a balanced and impartial manner.
I’m in support of this petition and do not agree with RTE boycotting the Eurovision, on the grounds that Israel are participating, smoke and mirrors! They’ve really shown their true colours! Based on this decision alone, I think that Kevin Bakhurst should be sent packing.
RTE is disgracefully portraying an overly antisemitic boycott as social justice. This national broadcaster has spared no effort since the massacre of October 7th, 2023 to vilify Israel and simultaneously minimise HAMAS violence.
I wholeheartedly support Graham Linehan and remind you that Ireland's population voted for Israel to be in second place. They seem to appreciate the apoltical nature of Eurovision while teh broadcaster is just fomenting Jewish hate.
RTE has a "down with ths kids" immature and very short sighted view of a problem that has real nuance. Asserting a black and white morality in its decision making demonstrates both arrogance and ignorance. That is not even to mention the hypocritic virtue signalling.
I am done with the Western hypocrisy of the Irish government.
Because antisemitism is nothing but hate.
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Demand RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst Resign Over Antisemitic Eurovision Boycott
My name is Graham Linehan. I am the co-creator of Father Ted, one of the most beloved Irish television comedies ever made. I am writing this petition with anger, and with grief — for what RTÉ has become, and for what it is doing to Ireland's reputation.
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. Singling out the world's only Jewish state for exclusion, while no such standard is applied to any other nation, meets the internationally recognised IHRA definition of antisemitism. RTÉ has not boycotted Russia, Belarus, or Azerbaijan. It has boycotted Israel. The message is clear.
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.
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.
We, the undersigned, demand:
- That RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst resign immediately, or be dismissed by the RTÉ Board and the Irish Government.
- That RTÉ issue a full and unreserved apology for its decision to boycott Eurovision on antisemitic grounds.
- That the Irish Minister for Media launch an independent review of antisemitism within RTÉ's editorial decision-making.
Ireland is better than this. RTÉ must be held accountable.
Graham Linehan
Co-creator, Father Ted
Updates
Reached 2,500 supporters
May 12, 2026
Reached 1,000 supporters
May 12, 2026
Reached 100 supporters
May 11, 2026
1,145 Comments
i lived in Ireland for almost 11 years and i am sad to say this nonsense from RTE does not surprise me at all as a Jew. I encountered anti semitism on almost weekly basis.What a dreadful shame to use father Ted to further hate.
I think RTÉ's decision to boycott this year's Eurovision Song Contest also calls into question whether our national broadcaster can be relied upon to report on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a balanced and impartial manner.
I’m in support of this petition and do not agree with RTE boycotting the Eurovision, on the grounds that Israel are participating, smoke and mirrors! They’ve really shown their true colours! Based on this decision alone, I think that Kevin Bakhurst should be sent packing.
RTE is disgracefully portraying an overly antisemitic boycott as social justice. This national broadcaster has spared no effort since the massacre of October 7th, 2023 to vilify Israel and simultaneously minimise HAMAS violence.
I wholeheartedly support Graham Linehan and remind you that Ireland's population voted for Israel to be in second place. They seem to appreciate the apoltical nature of Eurovision while teh broadcaster is just fomenting Jewish hate.
RTE has a "down with ths kids" immature and very short sighted view of a problem that has real nuance. Asserting a black and white morality in its decision making demonstrates both arrogance and ignorance. That is not even to mention the hypocritic virtue signalling.
I am done with the Western hypocrisy of the Irish government.
Because antisemitism is nothing but hate.
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i lived in Ireland for almost 11 years and i am sad to say this nonsense from RTE does not surprise me at all as a Jew. I encountered anti semitism on almost weekly basis.What a dreadful shame to use father Ted to further hate.