The Dutch national broadcaster AVROTROS has officially declared that it will not participate in Eurovision as long as Israel takes part.
At the peak of ongoing tensions surrounding Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026, the Dutch national broadcaster AVROTROS issued an unusual announcement today (Friday), stating:
“We can no longer justify Israel’s participation in Eurovision due to the ongoing situation in Gaza”.
AVROTROS is the third national broadcaster, following those of Slovenia and Ireland, to officially announce that it will withdraw from the contest as long as Israel continues to participate. Alongside the Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia, both Iceland and Spain have hinted at the possibility of withdrawing from the competition if Israel remains involved, though they have yet to issue official statements.
A Worrying Trend
As mentioned, the Netherlands is already the third country in recent days to officially declare that it will withdraw from the contest as long as Israel participates. Why is the Dutch announcement more alarming than the previous ones? Unlike Ireland and Slovenia, the Netherlands plays a far more dominant and influential role in Eurovision, as it contributes significantly higher participation fees compared to the other two nations.
The Netherlands Against Israel in Eurovision
The Netherlands is remembered by many Israelis as one of the most hostile countries toward Israel in recent Eurovision history. In particular, tensions were heightened due to their 2024 contestant, Joost Klein, who, during the post–semi-final press conference, wrapped himself in the Dutch flag while Israel’s representative, Eden Golan, was answering reporters’ questions.
EBU’s Response: “Each Broadcaster Decides Whether to Participate”
Martin Green, the contest’s executive supervisor, stressed that participation in Eurovision is voluntary:
“The EBU will continue to maintain neutrality regarding the Middle East conflict”.
The vote on Israel’s suspension is expected December 4th-5th during the EBU General Assembly. Green added that by mid-December, each country will be required to confirm participation, and each national broadcaster will decide independently: “We will respect every decision”.
The EBU’s regulations allow suspension or expulsion of a country only through a special vote with a qualified majority, and only in extreme circumstances. Therefore, despite pressure from Slovenia, Spain, and Iceland, suspending or excluding Israel does not seem realistic at this stage. Nevertheless, Slovenia’s declarations and threats, along with the possibility of more countries joining a boycott, place significant uncertainty over the Vienna contest. Will Israel ultimately take part in the competition? For now, it is impossible to say with certainty — but many are still holding their breath in hope.
הצגת פוסט זה באינסטגרם
Israel at Eurovision 2025
“New Day Will Rise” is the song performed by Yuval Raphael, who was chosen to represent Israel after winning the 11th season of “HaKokhav HaBa”. Israel advanced to the final after winning the second semi-final with 203 points and finished second overall with 357 points in the grand final. Israel ranked first in the public vote but only 14th with the jury. This marks the third consecutive year that Israel has reached the top five – an unprecedented achievement.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Israel’s 48th participation in Eurovision. Israel joined the contest in 1973 and has won four times. Its most recent victory was at Eurovision 2018 with the song “Toy”, performed by singer Netta Barzilai.
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Ilay Gaist is a leading Israeli content creator and writer specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He is a well-known commentator with extensive expertise in the contest’s history, rules, and dynamics. His passion for Eurovision drives him to deliver rich, professional, and innovative content to his audience.
Ilay holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic and has a multilingual background. He also engages in cultural research, with a particular focus on global culinary traditions and the evolution of local cuisines around the world.
