Eurovision will 'respect' any boycott decisions over Israel

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GENEVA — The Eurovision Song Contest will respect countries’ decisions on participating in next year’s competition, its chief said Friday, after several European broadcasters threatened a boycott if Israel takes part.

During the past two editions of the competition, the event has been drawn into the controversy over Israel’s devastating war in Gaza. Pro-Palestinian activists protested in Malmo, Sweden in 2024 and in Basel, Switzerland last May over Israel’s participation in the contest.

On Friday, the Dutch joined a growing list of European countries threatening to pull out of the 2026 contest in Vienna if Israel is permitted to take part again.

Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS cited the “ongoing and severe human suffering in Gaza,” in its statement announcing its decision.

Its “participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will not be possible as long as Israel remains admitted by the EBU,” it said, referring to the European Broadcasting Union, which organises the event.

“If the EBU decides not to admit Israel, AVROTROS will be happy to participate next year,” it added.

Their announcement came after seven-time champions Ireland said on Thursday they would not take part alongside Israel.

Back in May, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that Israel should be excluded in future.

‘Understand the concerns’

“We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East,” Eurovision director Martin Green said in a statement sent to AFP.

The organisation said in July it was launching a consultation with all members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises the song contest over the issue.

It would discuss “how we manage participation, geopolitical tensions, and how other organisations have approached similar challenges.”

Those consultations were still ongoing, Green said Friday.

“Broadcasters have until mid-December to confirm if they wish to take part in next year’s event in Vienna,” he said.

“It is up to each member to decide if they want to take part in the contest and we would respect any decision broadcasters make.”

Eurovision is the world’s largest live televised music event. This year’s edition in Basel drew in 166 million viewers across 37 countries.

Austrian singer JJ won that competition, securing Austria the right to host the 2026 edition.

‘Political instrument’

In its statement Friday, Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS linked its decision to Israel’s nearly two-year campaign in Gaza.

That campaign has killed at least 64,656 Palestinians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza that the United Nations considers reliable.

AVROTROS denounced a “serious violation of press freedom” by the Israelis, pointing to “the deliberate exclusion of independent international reporting and the many casualties among journalists.”

And it accused Israel of “proven interference… during the last edition of the Song Contest,” in which it came in second, charging that the event had been “used as a political instrument.

“This runs counter to the apolitical nature of the contest,” it added.

Irish broadcaster RTE also said it felt “that Ireland’s participation would be unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza.”

Israel’s war in Gaza erupted after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks inside Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

Of the 251 hostages seized during the assault, 47 remain in Gaza, including 25 the Israeli military says are dead.

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