The Netherlands to boycott Eurovision 2026 over Israel's participation

Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS has withdrawn from the Eurovision Song Contest, after it was announced that Israel would still be allowed to compete. This means the Netherlands will not be taking part in the 2026 edition of the European song festival. 

No Dutch entry for Eurovision 2026

The Netherlands has pulled out of the Eurovision Song Contest after the organiser EBU announced that Israel would not be excluded from the competition. Several broadcasters, including AVROTROS from the Netherlands, wanted Israel to be banned from competing due to the war in Gaza.

“This was not an easy decision, and we didn't make it lightly. The Eurovision Song Contest is incredibly valuable to us,” wrote AVROTROS CEO Taco Zimmerman in a press release. “Culture unites, but not at all costs. What happened last year touches our boundaries. Universal values ​​like humanity and a free press have been seriously violated and are non-negotiable for us.”

The Dutch broadcaster also cited Israel’s “political interference” in the most recent edition of Eurovision as a reason to withdraw. Israel, which took second place last year, launched several government-run campaigns to encourage people from other countries to vote for their entry. 

“We choose the core values ​​of AVROTROS and, as a public broadcaster, have the responsibility to remain true to these values, even when that is complicated or vulnerable,” concluded AVROTROS. National broadcaster NPO will still ensure that the event is broadcast to the Dutch public even if the country is not participating.

Four countries pull out of Eurovision Song Contest

Other than the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia are also not taking part in Eurovision 2026. Spanish broadcaster RTVE has been one of the largest funders of the Eurovision Song Contest, which means it always has a place in the final. Iceland and Belgium are set to decide whether they will participate in the song festival at a later date, reports NOS.

The gathering of European broadcasters in Geneva to decide whether Israel could participate was held under a lot of pressure. While several countries were against Israel’s inclusion, other EBU member states, such as Germany and Austria, strongly opposed the boycott.

Not only is Austria hosting the 2026 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, but Austrian broadcaster ORF found it “unthinkable” to exclude Israel given Austria’s own wartime past. Germany was against the exclusion for the same reasons.

New rules will reportedly apply to the next edition of the song festival to limit the manipulation of public votes. Excessive media campaigns will be discouraged, and viewers will only be able to cast a maximum of 10 votes instead of the usual 20.