After threats of boycott if Israel participates in Eurovision, management says it respects broadcasters' decisions

By The New Obs with AFP

Published on September 12, 2025 at 8:43 p.m.

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Each Eurovision member can freely choose whether or not to compete and their decision will be respected, its director assured on Friday, September 12, following threats of a boycott if Israel participates in the next edition of the most watched TV talent show in the world.

Dutch broadcaster Avrotros announced Friday that it plans to boycott the song contest due to the war in Gaza, adding to a list of countries threatening to withdraw from next year's competition, scheduled to take place in Vienna, Austria, the country that won this year.

On Thursday, seven-time Eurovision winner Ireland announced its intention not to compete alongside Israel . In May, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Israel should be excluded from the competition in the future.

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"We understand the concerns and opinions (...) regarding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East," competition director Martin Green told AFP.

Recommendations to be shared soon

"Broadcasters have until mid-December to confirm their participation in next year's edition in Vienna. It is up to each member to decide whether they wish to participate in the competition and we will respect any decision made by broadcasters," he added.

The competition is organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the world's leading alliance of public service media, founded in 1950, in cooperation with its members in more than 35 countries.

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At the last EBU General Assembly in London in July, its members discussed "pressures" related to politics and conflicts in the world, including in Gaza, and decided to launch an internal " dialogue " on this subject.

Recommendations are expected by the end of the year.

"We continue to consult with all EBU members to gather their views on how to manage participation and geopolitical tensions," Martin Green confirmed on Friday.

Countries have been banned from Eurovision before, including Belarus in 2021 after the disputed re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko. Russia was banned a year later after invading Ukraine.

The Dutch public broadcasting association Avrotros stated on Friday that its "participation in Eurovision 2026 will not be possible as long as Israel remains within the EBU (European Broadcasting Union)."

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