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 says.
Yesterday, Irish broadcaster RTE said Israel’s participation was “unconscionable” given the “ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza.”
Recent editions of Eurovision have seen protests at Israel’s inclusion over the ongoing war in Gaza, which followed the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
AvroTros said it had also taken into account the high number of journalists who 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 and says some of those killed were affiliated with Hamas.
Israel came in fifth in the contest in 2024, and was the runner-up in the most recent edition earlier this year.
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From the Liveblog of
Friday, September 12, 2025
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