Netherlands backs out of Eurovision over Israel’s inclusion

Netherlands reverses its decision to return to the Eurovision, citing controversy over Israel’s participation.

By World Israel News Staff

The Netherlands announced Tuesday that it will boycott the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest over Israel’s participation, reversing a decision made just over a month ago to return to the international music competition.

Dutch public broadcasting organization NPO said it had failed to secure sufficient support among its member broadcasters to organize a Dutch entry, citing continued disagreements over Israel’s participation and the war in Gaza.

Jurre Bosman, NPO’s media director, said Israel’s inclusion in the competition had generated considerable controversy among Dutch broadcasters, employees and the wider public.

“We have known for some time that Israel’s participation elicits various reactions in society and causes discussion and division,” Bosman said.

He explained that NPO was unwilling to send performers and staff to the competition without the full support of at least one of its member broadcasters.

Jet de Ranitz, chair of NPO’s executive board, said the organization had initially believed it could assemble a team to oversee the Dutch entry, but ultimately failed to find an arrangement acceptable to the participating broadcasters.

“We must conclude that it is currently too early to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027,” De Ranitz said.

The decision marks the latest reversal in a dispute that began when Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS, traditionally responsible for selecting the country’s Eurovision representative, announced in August that it would not participate in the 2027 competition.

AVROTROS said Israel’s continued involvement in the contest, amid the war in Gaza, had compromised Eurovision’s political neutrality.

“The Eurovision Song Contest has therefore become a platform for division,” AVROTROS director-general Taco Zimmerman said at the time.

The broadcaster subsequently transferred responsibility for Dutch participation to NPO, which announced on September 23 that the Netherlands would return to Eurovision under a new arrangement involving an independent selection team.

NPO said the decision followed discussions with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the competition, and changes intended to address concerns raised by broadcasters that had boycotted the 2026 event.

However, the proposed return generated opposition within the Dutch public broadcasting system. Earlier this month, more than 400 NPO employees signed a letter urging the organization to reconsider its participation because of Israel’s inclusion.

According to Dutch television program “Nieuwsuur,” broadcasters EO and WNL had expressed willingness to assist in selecting and supporting a Dutch entrant, but neither was prepared to assume full responsibility for organizing the entry.

Bosman told “Nieuwsuur” that discussions had continued until Monday evening, but the broadcasters ultimately remained unwilling to commit personnel and formally take responsibility for participation.

He maintained that the employee protest letter had not determined NPO’s decision, attributing the withdrawal instead to the absence of sufficient institutional backing.

NPO also decided against using its authority to require broadcaster NTR to organize the entry, saying it would be inappropriate to compel participation in an event that had become so divisive.

The EBU expressed disappointment over the Netherlands’ withdrawal.

“We’re deeply sorry that NPO will now not take part in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest,” Eurovision director Martin Green said in a statement Tuesday.

Green said the organization understood the decision and respected the strong feelings surrounding the issue in the Netherlands.

He emphasized that the Netherlands was among Eurovision’s founding participants, having competed in the inaugural contest in 1956, and expressed hope that it would eventually return.

The Netherlands was one of five countries that boycotted Eurovision in 2026 over Israel’s participation, alongside Spain, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia.

Ireland has already announced that it will remain outside the competition in 2027, while the other countries have continued considering their positions.

Despite the Dutch withdrawal, NPO said Eurovision would still be broadcast in the Netherlands, with NOS providing coverage of the semifinals and final, including Dutch-language commentary.

The 2027 Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to take place in Burgas, Bulgaria, with semifinals on May 11 and 13 and the final on May 15.

Bulgaria earned hosting rights after singer Dara won the 2026 competition in Vienna with her song “Bangaranga.”

Israel’s representative, Noam Bettan, finished second with “Michelle,” continuing a series of strong Israeli performances that saw the country place second in 2025 and fifth in 2024.

The controversy surrounding Israel’s participation has also coincided with a decline in Eurovision’s television audience. According to organizers, approximately 130 million people watched the 2026 final, compared with 160 million in 2025.

NPO said it would continue discussions with the EBU about the future of the competition, leaving open the possibility of a Dutch return in 2028.