Recommendations of the Editorial team
The Dutch broadcaster Avros has announced that the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC for short) in 2026 are boycotted if Israel is approved for participation. The broadcaster announced on September 12 that the Netherlands would only take part in the ESC next year that the European Radio Union (EBU) does not allow Israel.
In a statement, Avrotros said that in the past few months with EBU and other public service broadcasters, consultations have been led to the future of the competition and participation of Israel. This reported “NME”. The Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Vienna in 2026.
“Given the suffering in Gaza”, no longer justified
“The Eurovision Song Contest was launched in 1956 to bring people together after a time of deep split and war. Since its foundation 70 years ago, music has been the focus of the competition, the core values of which are peace, equality and respect,” it said in a message. The broadcaster can no longer justify Israel’s participation in the current situation in view of the continuing and severe human suffering in Gaza, “it is said in a message.
Since the attack by Hamas on Israeli citizens at the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023, in which over 1,100 people were killed and 250 as hostages, several UN human rights experts and UN committees have been talking about Israel’s genocide at the Palestinians in Gaza. The International Court of Justice also found the allegations of genocide to be plausible.
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, over 61,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023. Israel rejects the allegations of the genocide and denies that they have committed war crimes. It claims that his operations are lawful acts of self -defense.