Amsterdam (QNN)- The Netherlands will return to the Eurovision Song Contest next year despite a boycott by the broadcaster that was previously in charge of the country's participation over Israel’s inclusion amid the genocide in Gaza.
Dutch network AVROTROS withdrew in 2026 and said it would also not take part in 2027 because the competition could "no longer be considered neutral" given divisions over Israel's involvement and the Gaza genocide.
The NPO, which oversees public broadcasting in the country, has now stepped in, saying coverage of the contest will be provided by broadcasting organisation NOS, while an independent panel will select the Dutch participant.
Jurre Bosman, NPO's director of media, said: "It is important that, as a public broadcaster, we remain part of this unifying European event at this moment in particular."
In a statement on Wednesday, the NPO said the EBU has "taken significant steps regarding the rules" of the contest, and that the Netherlands will return.
Acknowledging that the contest provokes "mixed feelings" in the Netherlands, the NPO said it had "explicitly asked the EBU to once again make the unifying character of the festival an important part of the event".
The NPO also said the Dutch entrant would be chosen by "an independent team of experts" who would "carefully guide the process surrounding the act".
Eurovision director Martin Green said in a statement: "We are delighted to welcome the Netherlands back to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027.
Ireland has already announced that it will not participate in the 2027 contest if Israel is permitted to take part. The decision came after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes Eurovision, declined calls to exclude Israel over its conduct in Gaza.
The Netherlands also announced plans to withdraw from next year’s contest, with AVROTROS citing Israel’s participation and the ongoing situation in Gaza among the reasons for its decision.
The decision marks the second consecutive year that Ireland will neither participate in nor broadcast the competition, which is the world’s most popular television music show.
Earlier this month, Eurovision organisers said they would exclude any country involved in an armed conflict from hosting the competition.
However, the Dutch public broadcaster said the measure was not “sufficient”.
It said Eurovision could “no longer be considered neutral” given Israel’s participation in “a large-scale military conflict” in Gaza.
Spain is planning to withdraw from next year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
José Pablo López, president of Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE, said on Tuesday that he would propose that Spain withdraw from Eurovision 2027 if Israel is allowed to participate.
The proposal still requires approval by RTVE’s board before Spain can formally confirm its withdrawal.
Ireland, Spain and Netherlands were among five countries that withdrew from Eurovision 2026 in Vienna earlier this year along with Slovenia and Iceland.
Sinn Fein, Ireland’s main opposition party, welcomed RTE’s decision. The party’s spokesperson for Culture, Communications and Sport, Joanna Byrne, told Al Jazeera that Israel’s behaviour “cannot be normalised”.
“RTE’s decision to again boycott the Eurovision Song Contest is the correct and principled decision in the face of Israel’s ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people,” Byrne said.
She added that Israel is an “apartheid state” and accused it of engaging in “ethnic cleansing”.
“Israel, as an aggressor nation just like Russia, should have been banned when they engaged in genocidal actions, just like Russia.”
The European Broadcasting Union, which organises the annual music competition, has faced accusations of applying a double standard for refusing to exclude Israel, despite banning Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Eurovision Director Martin Green said that organisers “fully respect” Ireland’s decision and that they “will be missed”.
“The Eurovision Song Contest is at its best when broadcasters and their artists from different countries come together to share music, celebrate creativity and create connections between audiences,” Green said.
“That power to bring people together is at the heart of what makes the Contest so special, and is even more important now in an increasingly difficult and divided world.”
The widely-watched show has recently faced a series of boycotts over Israel’s participation.
This year’s competition pulled in 131 million viewers, 35 million fewer than last year, after the five countries boycotted it over Israel’s participation.
Thousands of protesters had gathered outside the venue in the Austrian capital during the final in mid-May to oppose Israel’s participation.
Next year’s Eurovision is due to be held in Bulgaria’s Black Sea city of Burgas, after Bulgarian singer Darina Yotova, known as Dara, won this year’s contest in Vienna, Austria, with her catchy floor-filler ‘Bangaranga’.
Tensions around Eurovision escalated last year when members of the EBU decided not to hold a vote on Israel’s participation. The decision followed internal disagreement and came during the Israeli genocide in Gaza.
Several countries later boycotted the contest in protest.
This year’s edition recorded the lowest number of participating countries since 2004, reflecting increasing isolation for Israel.
The walk-outs were prompted by the decision of the organizing body to allow Israel to take part despite the genocide in Gaza.
International criticism of Eurovision’s pro-Israel stance has also grown. Several countries withdrew or reduced participation this year over Israel’s inclusion as it faces war crimes charges in the ICC and ICJ, while comparisons have been drawn to the 2022 exclusion of Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
Critics argue that the difference in treatment raises questions about double standards in international cultural events. The issue has drawn wider media attention, including reporting by The New York Times on how Israel has used Eurovision for as a soft power during the Gaza genocide.
Over the past three years, Israel has faced objections to its participation in Eurovision not only by EBU members but also by contestants themselves.
