Dutch broadcast company AVROTROS has announced that the Netherlands will boycott the 2026 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is allowed to compete. The Netherlands is the fifth country to announce a planned boycott of the event, which is scheduled to be held in Vienna.
“AVROTROS can no longer justify Israel’s participation in the current situation, given the ongoing and severe human suffering in Gaza,” the company said in a statement. The organization manages Dutch participation and broadcast rights for the competition as part of the Dutch public broadcasting umbrella, NPO.
AVROTROS stated that they have been in discussions with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) regarding Israel’s participation in 2026. The broadcaster added that they are also concerned about the “serious erosion of press freedom,” citing the interference by the Israeli government in last year’s edition, claiming that the event was used as a “political instrument.”
The dam has broken.
Israel (and Australia) not being in Europe was already irritating enough.
Ah I like the Aussies in it. Their act is always fun.
The fact that Israel, a supposedly Asian country, is in all these European cultural associations really gives the game away.
Them being the primary sponsor for Eurovision also doesnt help
Moroccan oil. bizarrely, an Israeli company.
Finally, justice for Joost Kleine.
And yet Germany and Italy are threatening to boycott if Israel is not included.
Birds of a feather flock together.
That’s a bold stance of them, in this climate.
Thanks posting that too
my inner pessimist is expecting a change of heart at the 11th hour given how some of these gov’t had made recognition of palestine conditional on circumstamces that will never come to pass.
I will boycott it too, like I do every year.
Crimes against music.
We’re up to Spain, Ireland and The Netherlands now. Gonna be interesting.
Good
All this disdain for genocide is so antisemitic.
I hope more countries do this. Israel should not be invited to anywhere.
Honestly, one should boycott Eurovision anyway. I don’t have the time or patience for empire.
I’m interested in what you mean by this.
Let’s hope that we have a domino effect with other countries boycotting too. Sometimes the wider public just need to have this drawn to their attention.
Last year would’ve been a better time for this threat, but I guess this is better than nothing.
