Omroep MAX challenges the AVROTROS boycott over the Israeli entry, offering to secure the return of the Netherlands to Eurovision 2027.
Eurovision 2026 has barely concluded, but the political dramas surrounding the next edition are already in full swing. After the primary Dutch national broadcaster, AVROTROS, executed its threats and made its withdrawal from the competition official due to the participation of Israel – even going so far as to declare that it will continue its boycott into 2027 – it appears that not all broadcasting bodies in the country agree with this decisive course of action.
Another Dutch broadcaster, Omroep MAX, is now dropping a bombshell by declaring its willingness to pick up the gauntlet, take the place of the boycotting network, and ensure that the Netherlands will not be absent from the grand stage of Europe in the coming years.
Saving the Dutch Representation: “The Boycott is Unjustified”
Jan Slagter, the CEO of the national broadcaster Omroep MAX, was interviewed by the Dutch newspaper AD and made it clear that, in his opinion, the Netherlands must take part in the competition with an artist and a song. In his remarks, Slagter directly addressed the motives of AVROTROS, noting that while his network also harbors criticism toward the actions of the Israeli government, the political situation should not lead to a cultural boycott of the contest. This represents the first, and highly significant, crack in the unified front presented by the broadcasting bodies in the Netherlands against the participation of Israel.
According to reports in the local media, Omroep MAX is currently the only national broadcaster within the Dutch public broadcasting system displaying an active interest in returning to the competition. At the same time, the CEO was quick to clarify that the network will not fund the participation – the cost of which is estimated at approximately half a million euros – from its private budget. Should AVROTROS persist in its refusal to return, Slagter is open to holding discussions with the public broadcasting corporation, the NPO, with the goal of having the corporation cover a significant portion of the costs from its central events budget.
Background: The Official AVROTROS Boycott Following Israel’s Participation
To understand the scale of the uproar, one must look back at the decision of AVROTROS, which is considered one of the explicitly anti-Israel networks within the EBU. The broadcaster declared in advance that it would withdraw if Israel participated in Eurovision 2026, and stood its ground even after a ceasefire was achieved, and after the EBU General Assembly decided not to hold a vote on the participation of Israel.
The Dutch national broadcaster counted on international pressure leading to the expulsion of the Israeli national broadcaster KAN, and even completed the selection of an artist and a song in secrecy to be prepared for any scenario. However, the moment the participation of Israel was definitively confirmed, the withdrawal became official. In its official statement, the broadcaster claimed that “participation in the contest under the current circumstances is incompatible with its public values”, while accusing Israel of harming press freedom and humanitarian values in Gaza, alongside allegations of political interference by Israel in previous editions.
The Current Situation and the Dutch National Broadcasters
Despite the echoing withdrawal of AVROTROS from the recent contest, the Dutch public broadcasting corporation (NPO) supported the decision and stated that it respects it, but simultaneously ensured that Eurovision remained accessible to viewers and fans in the country. The broadcast was actually transmitted to the Dutch audience through the networks NOS and NTR, which also operate under the umbrella of the NPO.
Now, with the conclusion of the contest, the NPO is awaiting the official evaluation reports from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) before making final decisions regarding the year 2027. The corporation stated that only after analyzing the conclusions will they enter into official discussions with AVROTROS to examine whether the gaps can be bridged. Should these discussions fail, and the original network entrenches itself in its position, the offer from Omroep MAX and the willingness of the NPO to explore alternatives could serve as the lifeline that prevents a prolonged absence for the Netherlands, returning the country to the grand stage.
The 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 2025: This was the Netherlands’ 65th 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.
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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.
