The Netherlands has announced it will boycott the 2026 Eurovision in Vienna if Israel participates, joining other European countries that have threatened to withdraw from the song contest over Israel’s war on Gaza.

Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS, one of dozens of public broadcasters that collectively fund and broadcast the contest, on Friday said it would not take part in next year’s competition in Vienna if Israel participates, “given the ongoing and severe human suffering in Gaza”.

“The broadcaster also expresses deep concern about the serious erosion of press freedom: the deliberate exclusion of independent international reporting and the many casualties among journalists,” it said in a statement.

Irish broadcaster RTE released a similar statement on Thursday, saying participating would

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