Dutch public broadcaster questions apolitical nature of Eurovision amid Israel's participation

By Selman Aksunger and Ilayda Cakırtekin

AMSTERDAM/ISTANBUL (AA) - Dutch public broadcaster AVROTROS has questioned whether the Eurovision Song Contest remains apolitical in light of Israel’s participation amid the war in Gaza.

"The participation of Israel – in the current context – confronts us with the broader question to what extent the Eurovision Song Contest still functions as a truly apolitical, unifying cultural event," Leonie van der Mark, a spokeswoman for the broadcaster, told Anadolu.

She pointed to “growing unease” about the increasing political influence and pressure on the contest.

"Our primary concern is substantive: the increasing influence of geopolitical tensions undermines the unifying and apolitical character of the contest," van der Mark said.

Van der Mark reiterated the need for a broader reflection within the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and called for a collective examination of the contest’s apolitical limits, the role of governments and eligibility criteria.

She also clarified that the disqualification of last year’s Dutch contestant Joost Klein ahead of the final – for reportedly hitting a film camera – “was not related to any political statement or position.”

AVROTROS, along with fellow Dutch broadcaster NPO, said they plan to speak with Eurovision organizers about maintaining the contest’s credibility and neutrality, public broadcaster NOS reported on Tuesday.

They reiterated that they "strongly value the apolitical and unifying value of the Eurovision Song Contest."

- Eurovision was 'never' apolitical

The Dutch journalist Geert Willems, who wrote a book on Eurovision, told Anadolu that the contest was never apolitical.

Writing in Dutch daily De Gelderlander, Willems noted that the EBU is unlikely to exclude Israel, partly because one of Eurovision’s main sponsors – Moroccanoil – is an Israeli-owned company based in New York.

The remarks came after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday called for Israel’s exclusion from Eurovision and other international competitions, noting that Russia was banned from the contest over its war in Ukraine.

“We cannot allow double standards in culture,” he said.

Belgium’s Flemish broadcaster VRT also said this week it may consider withdrawing from the contest unless voting rules are reformed.

It and other broadcasters have called for an investigation into how Israel’s contestant won the popular vote.