Concerns Raised Over Dutch Broadcaster Airing Israel’s Eurovision Entry
A group of demonstrators gathered in front of the AVRO-TROS building in Hilversum to protest the Eurovision Song Contest. The demonstrators were calling on AVRO-TROS to refrain from broadcasting the competition as long as Israel participates in it.
Carrying Palestinian flags and banners with slogans like “Boycott Eurovision” and “Free Palestine,” the protesters demanded that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the organizers of Eurovision, ban Israel from the competition, similar to how they had excluded Russia in the past.
The demonstrators expressed their concern that by airing the contest, AVRO-TROS would be complicit in what they described as Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Chanting slogans against Eurovision, AVRO-TROS, and Israel, the group made their message clear.
The group’s press spokesperson, known only as Cian, emphasized the urgency of removing Israel from Eurovision, citing the ongoing conflict in Gaza as the primary reason. Cian stated that AVRO-TROS should consider at least a temporary halt to broadcasting during Israel’s performance, or ideally, refrain from airing the competition altogether.
Drawing parallels to the exclusion of Russia and Belarus from Eurovision in the past, Cian argued that Israel should be subjected to the same treatment given the current situation. The demonstrators made it clear that their protest was a call for action to address what they see as a grave injustice surrounding Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest.
