Netherlands Withdraws From Eurovision Over Israel's Participation
Translated & summarized from Channel 13 by baba
The Netherlands' public broadcaster NPO announced its withdrawal from the Eurovision Song Contest 2027 in protest of Israel's participation. This decision follows a previous declaration to return to the competition. Despite the boycott, the Netherlands will still broadcast the event. The withdrawal comes amid broader concerns about the contest's political implications and follows similar actions by other broadcasters.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Netherlands will not participate in Eurovision 2027 due to Israel's involvement.
- The Dutch broadcaster NPO cited a lack of support for participation after consultations.
- The Netherlands will still broadcast the Eurovision competition on NOS.
- This decision reverses a previous announcement by the Netherlands to return to the contest.
- Irish broadcaster RTE also withdrew from Eurovision 2027 over concerns about Israel.
- Dutch participant Joost Klein was disqualified from Eurovision 2024.
The Dutch public broadcaster NPO officially announced on Tuesday that the Netherlands will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2027 as a protest against Israel's involvement. The decision, made after consultations with other Dutch broadcasters, cited a lack of sufficient support for participation.
Despite the withdrawal, the Netherlands will still broadcast the competition through the NOS network, including commentary and a preview program. This move comes just a month after the Netherlands had declared its return to the contest, scheduled to be held in Burgas, Bulgaria. The initial decision to return followed the withdrawal of broadcaster AVROTROS, which cited "current circumstances" as incompatible with the organization's values.
At that time, NPO stated that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) had made "significant changes" to the rules, aiming to restore unity among European nations. Jet de Ranitz, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of NPO, alluded to the controversy surrounding Israel's participation, noting the need to emphasize the contest's unifying nature during a period of geopolitical unrest.
Under the previously agreed plan, an independent expert team was to select the Dutch representative, while NOS would broadcast the semifinals and final. The Irish broadcaster RTE also announced its withdrawal from Eurovision 2027 last month, citing concerns over foreign journalists' access to Gaza. The Netherlands' last appearance was in 2025, with Claude's song "C'est la vie" reaching 12th place. In 2024, Dutch representative Joost Klein was disqualified shortly before the final following a production crew member's complaint, with unverified reports linking the incident to alleged harassment from the Israeli delegation.
The same event, reported separately by each outlet. Open a few to compare what different newsrooms emphasize — and what they leave out.
Left 1Centre 9Right 3Arab 2Other 5
Not the same event — other stories that share this one’s people, places, or theme: background, reactions, and follow-ups.