Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS is taking a strong stance against the situation in Gaza: the Netherlands won’t participate in Eurovision as long as Israel is still admitted.
In a public statement on their website, the broadcaster cited “the ongoing and severe human suffering in Gaza” as the reason they can no longer justify Israel’s participation.
They also point out that “the suppression of press freedom and political interference” are simply at odds with the values of the Eurovision Song Contest, which was founded to “bring people together after a period of deep division and war.”
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The Netherlands now joins Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, and more on the growing list of countries that currently oppose Israel’s participation in Eurovision.
So, what happens now?
At present, AVROTROS states that all preparations for the song contest will “continue as planned” until the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) has made a decision on Israel’s involvement.
Should Israel be dropped from the competition, AVROTROS will “gladly take part”.
If not? The Netherlands and several other countries will follow through with their ultimatum, and the Eurovision Song Contest will have far fewer competitors in 2026.
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