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3w ago

Netherlands Joins Ireland in Threatening to Skip Eurovision 2026 if Israel Competes

The EBU is running a member consultation ahead of a mid-December deadline for broadcasters to confirm participation.

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Yuval Raphael from Israel performed New Day Will Rise in the Grand Final of Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland All Eurovision Song Contest photos are free to use for non-commercial purposes, but please credit the photographer using the format "© EBU/ Photographer's name" (photographer named in file name).
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Overview

  • Dutch public broadcaster AVROTROS said it will not take part if Israel is included, citing severe human suffering in Gaza and concerns over press freedom.
  • Ireland’s RTÉ issued the same stance a day earlier, calling participation unconscionable and highlighting the targeted killing of journalists and the plight of hostages.
  • Officials and broadcasters in Spain, Slovenia and Iceland have signaled they could also withdraw or want Israel excluded from the competition.
  • Eurovision director Martin Green said the EBU will respect any decision to withdraw and confirmed consultations with members are ongoing, with confirmations due by mid-December.
  • The 2026 contest is set for Vienna after Austria’s JJ won in 2025, following two years of protests, voting disputes and Dutch claims of Israeli government interference in the last contest.