The Netherlands has become the second country to say it will not participate in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is permitted to compete, joining a move by an Irish public broadcaster that has intensified pressure on the United Kingdom and other members of the European Broadcasting Union.
Irish broadcaster RTE and Dutch broadcaster Avrotros announced they would withdraw from next year’s contest if Israel remains a participant, citing concerns raised by multiple EBU members. A Eurovision spokesperson said participation is a decision for each state broadcaster and the EBU would not dictate which countries may enter.
The broadcasters’ statements follow incidents at the 2025 grand final in which Israeli singer Yuval Raphael, described in media reports as a survivor of the October 7 attack, was booed and jeered by sections of the crowd while performing. RTÉ said those events, along with concerns raised by other EBU members about Israel’s participation amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, informed its decision.
The move has prompted renewed calls in the United Kingdom for the BBC to reconsider its participation. Because of its large financial contribution to the EBU, the UK is one of the “Big Five” countries guaranteed a spot in the final; that status means a BBC withdrawal would not require qualification. The BBC declined to comment.
Songwriter Phil Coulter, who co-wrote Sandie Shaw’s 1967 Eurovision winner "Puppet on a String," told BBC radio he supported RTÉ’s decision and called on the BBC to stand in solidarity with Palestine by withdrawing. Coulter said competitors "can't turn a blind eye from the war in Palestine" and that the music industry should not "normalise what's going on in Gaza." He also said the decision highlighted what he described as a double standard because Russia and Belarus had previously been excluded from the contest.
Former Irish winner Dana said she had been "torn" over RTÉ’s move but said she now backs it, citing the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Dana said the contest ideally should judge talent alone but added that those considerations were now overshadowed by the conflict.
Eurovision's rules do not specify political litmus tests for participants, and the EBU has previously taken action to exclude members in some circumstances. An EBU statement reiterated that the contest is an event organized by national broadcasters and that participation is a sovereign decision for each broadcaster and its country.
Broadcasters that have announced a conditional boycott emphasized concerns about the safety and political implications of the contest when an invited performer is directly associated with an ongoing conflict. Avrotros and RTÉ did not give firm dates for a final decision but said their public positions would stand if Israel is allowed to compete in the next contest.
The developments leave the EBU facing a growing dilemma: whether to uphold its longstanding principle that Eurovision is non-political while managing the political and public-relations fallout from individual broadcasters’ decisions. Any withdrawal by a major contributing broadcaster would carry financial and logistical consequences for the contest, and could intensify debates about where to draw lines on eligibility in politically fraught circumstances.
For now, organizers say the matter rests with national broadcasters. The situation will be closely watched in the coming months as decisions are finalized ahead of next year’s contest.