The Netherlands pulls out of Eurovision 2027 due to Israel ‘sensitivities’

What the report says

The Netherlands has withdrawn from the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, with public broadcaster NPO saying the decision was driven by “sensitivities” surrounding Israel’s participation. In a statement reported by Al Jazeera, NPO media director Jurre Bosman said the issue has caused debate and division in Dutch society, and that the broadcaster decided not to take part after consulting its board.

The move follows an earlier boycott announced in August by AVROTROS, the Dutch broadcaster that normally selects the country’s entry and airs the contest. AVROTROS had argued that the event could no longer be seen as neutral. NPO later said it would assume responsibility for the Dutch entry, before reversing course this week. NPO executive chairman Jet de Ranitz said the contest would still be shown on public channels, even though the Netherlands would not compete.

Al Jazeera said the Dutch withdrawal comes amid a wider pattern of protest by some countries over Israel’s inclusion in Eurovision. The report notes that Iceland, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia also pulled out of the 2026 edition, while Ireland has already said it will skip next year’s contest again. Eurovision organisers have also said countries cannot host if conflict or a sensitive geopolitical situation affects safety or stability, but that rule has not stopped recent withdrawals.

More broadly, the contest remains a major European cultural event with a long history, but it has increasingly become a venue for political tensions as well as music competition.