Dutch will join Eurovision boycott if Israel is a contestant
The Netherlands will not take part in the next edition of the Eurovision Song Festival if Israel is a part of the event, Dutch public broadcaster AvroTros said in a press release on Friday.
The Eurovision Song Contest, the broadcaster said, was founded in 1956 to bring people together after a period of deep division and war. “AvroTros can no longer justify Israel’s participation in the current situation, given the ongoing and severe human suffering in Gaza,” the broadcaster said.
It also expressed its “deep concern about the serious erosion of press freedom: the deliberate exclusion of independent international reporting and the many casualties among journalists”.
In addition, AvroTros said, there is proven evidence of interference by the Israeli government during the most recent edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, in which the event was used as a political instrument.
Israeli singer Yuval Raphael came second in the event, thanks to a very high number of public votes. In total, viewers in 13 countries, including the Netherlands, gave Israel the maximum 12 points.
Israel conducted online campaigns in several countries encouraging people to vote for its entry. In the Netherlands, social media posts by the Israeli embassy featured singer Yuval Raphael speaking in Dutch and urging people to vote for her. The advert also reminded people they could vote 20 times.
Should the European Broadcasting Union decide not to admit Israel, AvroTros said it “will gladly take part” next year. Pending that decision, all preparations will for the time being continue as planned.
Eurovision director Martin Green said in a statement earlier this week that the organisation understands the concerns and deeply held views around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“We are still consulting with all EBU members to gather views on how we manage participation and geopolitical tensions around the Eurovision Song Contest,” he said. “Broadcasters have until mid-December to confirm if they wish to take part in next year’s event in Vienna.”
Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.
We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.
Make a donation