Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on September 12, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleThe Netherlands may boycott Eurovision 2026 if Israel participates, citing the Gaza conflict. Ireland shares similar concerns, and the European Broadcasting Union is consulting members.
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -The Netherlands has joined Ireland in saying it will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if Israel participates in the event due to the scale of the suffering in Gaza, Dutch broadcaster AvroTros said on Friday.
A day earlier, Irish broadcaster RTE said Israel's participation was "unconscionable" given the "ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza."
Recent editions of Eurovision have been overshadowed by protests at Israel's inclusion over its continuing military assault on Gaza, which followed the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas militants.
AvroTros said it had also taken into account the high number of journalists that have died in Gaza in deciding to boycott the 2026 contest, which was watched by 166 million people on television this year, if Israel attends.
Israel has denied targeting journalists in the enclave.
The European Broadcasting Union which organises the event said on Thursday it understood the "concerns and deeply held views around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East".
"We are still consulting with all EBU members to gather views on how we manage participation and geopolitical tensions around the Eurovision Song Contest," director Martin Green said in an emailed statement.
(Reporting by Bart MeijerEditing by Alexandra Hudson)
The Netherlands has decided to boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if Israel participates due to the suffering in Gaza.
Irish broadcaster RTE described Israel's participation as 'unconscionable' given the ongoing loss of lives in Gaza.
Recent editions of Eurovision have faced protests against Israel's participation, particularly due to the military actions in Gaza.
AvroTros took into account the high number of journalists who have died in Gaza when deciding to boycott the contest.
The European Broadcasting Union stated it understands the concerns regarding the ongoing conflict and is consulting with its members on participation.
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