The Netherlands will not participate in the next year of the Eurovision song competition in Vienna, Austria, if it can participate in Israel. Announced this on Friday by the Dutch public broadcaster Avrotros with reference to “Continuing and difficult suffering of people in Gaza”. Ireland and Spain have already announced similar steps, TASR writes, according to AFP report.
- The Netherlands refuses to participate in Eurovision if it participates in Israel.
- They justified the decision by the situation and suffering in the Gaza Strip.
- Ireland and Spain expressed the same attitude as the Netherlands.
- Israel accused the breach of media freedom and the politicization of the competition.
- Eurovision is a music competition organized by the European Broadcasting Union.
“The participation of Avrotros in the Eurovision 2026 competition will not be possible unless Israel remains a member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU),” wrote the broadcaster in a statement. “If EBU decides not to accept Israel, Avrotros will be happy to participate next year,” added.
Avrotros justified his decision by the situation in the Gaza Strip where According to him, Israel “seriously violates the freedom of the media”. The broadcaster accused Israel of “proven interference (in the course of the competition) during the last year when it was This event used as a political instrument ‘. The same step on Thursday was announced by the seven -time winner of the Ireland competition. In May, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also called for the exclusion of Israel from Eurovision.
Eurovision is an international competition of popular music in which artists from more than 35 Member States of the European Broadcasting Union compete in live television. In 2025, the Austrian singer JJ won the competition with Pop’s opera song Wasted Love.
