Netherlands to Boycott Eurovision if Israel Participates
The Netherlands announced that it will withdraw from the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 if Israel takes part, joining Ireland’s protest boycott against the suffering in Gaza and attacks on journalists in the region, according to webangah News Agency, citing Al Mayadeen via Mehr News Agency.
The Dutch public broadcasting organization AVROTROS stated that this decision was made due to the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.
AVROTROS also highlighted that its stance reflects concern over the high number of journalists killed in Gaza in recent months.
The broadcaster noted that this year’s Eurovision contest attracted 166 million viewers worldwide.
Earlier, Ireland’s public television network RTE announced it would not participate if Israel is allowed to compete. Ireland cited the ongoing war in Gaza as making its participation unacceptable under such circumstances.
