Dutch public broadcaster to boycott ‘no longer’ neutral Eurovision

AVROTROS says escalating international conflicts are undermining the event’s neutrality and fuelling divisions.Published On 24 Aug 202624 Aug 2026The public broadcaster in the Netherlands has announced it will not participate in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest because the event can “no longer be considered neutral” due to ongoing divisions over the war in Gaza.“It is undeniable that international conflicts are increasingly affecting the Contest, undermining its neutral character. The Eurovision Song Contest has therefore become a platform for division,” said Taco Zimmerman, Director-General of AVROTROS, in a statement on Monday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3E1 settlement: Why Netanyahu, Israel’s right might not mind global outragelist 2 of 3US threat of ‘economic D-Day’ for Iran tests Trump’s China detentelist 3 of 3Give Imran Khan proper medical care, cricket legends urge Pakistani gov’tend of listThe widely-watched show has recently faced a series of boycotts over Israel’s participation. Organisers announced earlier this month that they would exclude any country involved in an armed conflict from hosting the competition.“However, the recently announced changes...