Netherlands join boycott of Eurovision 2026 over Israeli participation

Published on 12/09/2025 - 16:16 GMT+2

The situation deepens for Eurovision. 

Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS has announced it will boycott adjacent year's Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is included successful nan competition, thereby joining Slovenia, Iceland, Spain and Ireland successful boycotting nan arena should nan European Broadcasting Union (EBU) keep Israel connected nan line-up. 

In a statement, AVROTROS said: “The Eurovision Song Contest was founded successful 1956 to bring group together aft a play of heavy section and war. Since its inception seventy years ago, euphony has been astatine nan bosom of nan Contest arsenic a unifying force, pinch peace, equality, and respect arsenic its halfway values." However, nan broadcaster continued to opportunity that it could “no longer warrant Israel’s information successful nan existent situation, fixed nan ongoing and terrible quality suffering successful Gaza”.

Like Ireland’s broadcaster RTÉ, AVROTROS’ connection besides cites concerns astir property freedom, and alleged location was “proven grounds of interference by nan Israeli government” during nan 2025 contest, and claimed Israel had utilized nan arena “as a governmental instrument”.

It continued: "Human suffering, nan suppression of property state and governmental interference are astatine likelihood pinch nan values of nationalist broadcasting."

The announcement by RTÉ this week besides raised concerns astir nan targeting of journalists and denial of media entree to Gaza.

Earlier this week, Spanish Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun spoke retired astir Spain’s information successful Eurovision adjacent year. Euronews Culture reported that Spain besides threatened to retreat from nan title if Israel is kept connected nan line-up.

“I don’t deliberation we tin normalise Israel’s information successful world events arsenic if thing is happening,” said Urtasun during an question and reply on La hora de La 1 connected TVE. “It is not an individual creator who participates but personification who participates connected behalf of that country’s citizens.” 

Urtasun said that if Israel participated successful 2026 “and we neglect to expel it, measures will person to beryllium taken” - arsenic cited by nan Spanish regular newspaper La Vanguardia - and reminded viewers that Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez antecedently called connected EBU to prohibition Israel from nan world competition. 

In May, Sánchez called connected nan EBU to exclude Israel, saying that "no 1 was shaking their heads" erstwhile Russia was banned from world competitions and Eurovision aft its penetration of Ukraine. He called for nan aforesaid prohibition to beryllium applied to Israel complete nan Gaza war. 

Urtasun specified that it is not antisemitic to denounce nan “genocide” taking spot successful Gaza and described Israel arsenic a “genocidal government.” 

Eurovision has been caught up in political tensions over Israel’s information for 2 years now, and nan aforementioned countries subordinate much than 70 erstwhile Eurovision contestants who signed an unfastened missive demanding Israel and its nationalist broadcaster KAN be banned from nan contest.  

The victor of past year’s Eurovision, Austrian vocalist JJ, has said that he too wants Israel to beryllium banned from nan Eurovision 2026. 

The EBU has extended its penalty-free withdrawal deadline to December, erstwhile a last determination connected Israel’s information is expected astatine nan General Assembly. 

Since Hamas’ onslaught connected Israeli citizens connected October 7, 2023, aggregate UN quality authorities experts have stated that Israel’s subject actions successful Gaza magnitude to genocide, pinch nan International Court of Justice uncovering claims of genocide plausible.  

Last month, nan Integrated Food Security Phase Classification announced that group successful nan Gaza Strip are officially facing “a man-made” famine in nan territory – contempt what nan Israeli authorities has said. 

The 70th day version of Eurovision is owed to return spot successful Vienna, Austria.The finale will return spot connected 16 May aft nan semi-finals connected 12 and 14 May 2026.