Dutch broadcaster AvroTros drew a line in the sand back in September: if Israel competes at Eurovision 2026, the Netherlands won’t. The twist? They’re now pretty much alone in that stance.
And there’s a Dutch artist already picked who might never take the stage.
It all started with what seemed like solidarity. When AvroTros made its announcement, multiple other countries were already questioning whether Israel belonged at the contest given the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and allegations of government interference in Eurovision 2025.
AvroTros was betting on strength in numbers. Surely more broadcasters would join the cause, right? Well… no.
Plot twist: everyone else bailed
Fast-forward to today, and that united front has crumbled.
According to the AD, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has scrapped not one but two planned votes on Israel’s participation because, well, there’s no longer much appetite for kicking them out.
The 2026 host, Austria, has been especially supportive of Israel’s inclusion, with Germany strongly backing them up.
Meaning? The chances of Israel being kicked out of the competition are now basically nonexistent.
To appease everyone, the EBU has tried to address some concerns by overhauling the voting system and introducing stricter rules about political meddling from governments.
And the boycotters? Well, Iceland’s already slowly walking back on its threat, and Austria’s reportedly trying to sweet-talk the other countries into changing their minds, too.
AvroTros is stuck
Multiple sources say AvroTros and director Taco Zimmerman aren’t budging from their September statement. Backing down now would look like a massive climb-down, and the broadcaster’s not too keen on that.
But here’s where it gets awkward: They’ve already chosen someone to represent the Netherlands. Yep, there’s an artist out there, song ready to go, practising for their big breakthrough that might never come.
And if the Netherlands does sit out 2026, then what? Does AvroTros plan to boycott indefinitely? We’re not sure, but there’s already rumours about the Netherlands potentially handing Eurovision duties to a different broadcaster after 2026.
For now, there’s a very real possibility that the Netherlands could be absent from one of Europe’s most iconic nights of television. We’ll see what happens…
Do you think the Netherlands should stick to its principles or rejoin Eurovision? Let us know in the comments.
