by Maor Heumann Comment Closed




Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS insists Israel must be expelled from Eurovision 2026, citing Gaza and press freedom, even if a ceasefire with Hamas materializes




The Netherlands will maintain its support for Israel’s expulsion from Eurovision 2026 even if a ceasefire with Hamas is reached, according to a spokesperson for the Dutch national broadcaster AVROTROS. He emphasized that Israel has no place in the contest.

“Our Position Will Not Change”

Trump’s plan, whose details were released yesterday, sparked hope among Eurovision fans in Israel that the threat of expulsion would be lifted and Israel’s path to Eurovision 2026 would be secured. The countries that previously called for Israel’s removal justified their stance by referring to the humanitarian situation and the decline in press freedom, raising expectations that an end to the war would render these threats irrelevant.

However, the Dutch national broadcaster AVROTROS quickly clarified that its position remains firm, and even if a ceasefire agreement is finalized, its decision will not change. “We will not forget the severe human suffering in Gaza, the erosion of press freedom, and the many casualties among journalists”, the spokesperson declared. “The interference of the Israeli government in the most recent edition of the contest is also a determining factor in our evaluation.

“Our decision regarding participation in Eurovision 2026 was made with the utmost seriousness, based on the events of this year, backed by proven facts and verified reports. Even if a ceasefire is reached in the near future, or if the conflict evolves in a different way, this will not change our position for 2026. We will only reconsider our participation in future years, depending on circumstances then”.

Despite the threat of withdrawal, the broadcaster confirmed that the song selection process is continuing. “Since participation depends on the decision of the EBU, the entire process is proceeding as planned. All submitted songs are currently being reviewed by the selection committee”.

How Many Votes Are Secured Against Israel?

The vote on Israel’s possible expulsion is expected to take place in November during the EBU General Assembly. According to clause 15.2 of the union’s regulations, each country is allocated a voting power of 24 votes. The implementation depends on the structure of the public broadcasting system in each country. Since the Netherlands has several broadcasters within the EBU, its 24 votes are divided among them, and it remains unclear how much weight AVROTROS will hold in the final decision on Israel’s possible expulsion from Eurovision 2026.




Netherlands at Eurovision 2025

“C’est La Vie” is the title of the song performed by Claude, who represented the Netherlands at Eurovision 2025. The Netherlands qualified for the Grand Final after placing third in the first semi-final with 121 points. In the Grand Final, the Netherlands finished in 12th place with 175 points, with the jury awarding the country fifth place, but the public at home ranking it only 15th.

This year, the Netherlands participated in the Grand Final after two years of missing out. In 2023, Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper failed to qualify from the semi-final, while in 2024, Joost Klein was disqualified after the semi-final due to a violent incident involving the competition’s production team.

Eurovision 2026: This will be the Netherlands’ 66th participation in Eurovision. The Netherlands joined the competition in 1956, was one of the seven founding countries, and has won it five times over the years. The Netherlands’ last victory was at Eurovision 2019 with the song “Arcade” performed by singer Duncan Laurence.