Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS has announced it will not participate in next year's Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna if Israel is included in the competition.
In a statement, AVROTROS said it had engaged in regular consultations with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and other public broadcasters in recent months about the contest’s future and Israel’s participation.
"The Eurovision Song Contest was founded in 1956 to bring people together after a period of deep division and war. Since its inception seventy years ago, music has been at the heart of the Contest as a unifying force, with peace, equality, and respect as its core values," it said.
The broadcaster said it "can no longer justify Israel’s participation in the current situation, given the ongoing and severe human suffering in Gaza".
It also cited concerns about press freedom, "proven evidence of interference by the Israeli government" during the 2025 contest, and the use of the event "as a political instrument".
"These circumstances are incompatible with the values represented by AVROTROS as a public broadcaster," the statement continued. "Participation by AVROTROS in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will not be possible as long as Israel is admitted by the EBU. Should the EBU decide not to admit Israel, AVROTROS will gladly take part next year."
The move follows a similar announcement by RTÉ earlier this week. RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst said Ireland’s involvement would be "unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza", also raising concerns about the targeting of journalists and denial of media access to Gaza.
Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers said he respected RTÉ’s stance, while the National Union of Journalists’ Dublin Broadcasting Branch welcomed the announcement and urged other broadcasters to follow suit.
Along with Spanish and Slovenian broadcasters, RTÉ had already sought consultations with the EBU about Israel’s participation. Following a General Assembly of the EBU in July, several members raised concerns about Israel being allowed to compete.
The EBU has yet to confirm Israel’s status. Eurovision director Martin Green said consultations with members are ongoing and that broadcasters have until mid-December to declare their participation.
This year’s contest in Basel, Switzerland saw Austria’s JJ win with Wasted Love. Ireland was represented by Emmy with Laika Party and Israel by Yuval Raphael with New Day Will Rise. Dutch singer Claude represented the Netherlands with C’est la vie, a bilingual French and English track inspired by his childhood and his mother’s support after he was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Netherlands also made headlines at Eurovision 2024, when its contestant Joost Klein was expelled from the contest just before the final following a complaint by a female production worker. The EBU disqualified Klein over allegedly threatening behaviour. Swedish prosecutors later dropped the case, saying there was no evidence of intent to cause fear or harm. Klein described the experience of being disqualified as "terrible".
The 2026 contest, which marks Eurovision’s 70th anniversary, is due to take place in Vienna next May. Ireland has won the competition seven times, while the Netherlands has five victories, most recently in 2019 with Duncan Laurence’s Arcade.
