400 Dutch broadcasting workers demand Eurovision 2027 boycott over Israel, threaten strike

Around 400 employees of Dutch broadcasting organizations have signed a letter calling for a boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest over Israel's participation, following the Netherlands' announcement that it would return to the competition next year. "The State of Israel continues its genocide of the Palestinian people as usual," the employees wrote in a letter sent to Dutch public broadcasting organization NPO, without presenting evidence to substantiate the allegation. The letter also claimed that "during the genocide in Gaza, more of our fellow journalists have been killed by Israel than in any other war in world history." However, no source was provided for the figures underlying that claim. Employees from various broadcasting organizations, including NPO itself, are demanding that the broadcaster withdraw from the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest and open discussions about participation in the 2028 competition as well. The letter's authors added that, in their view, it was unacceptable for "the desire to participate in a music competition to be considered more important than the lives of countless people being murdered." The organizers warned that if their demands were not met, they would take protest action, including a work stoppage. NPO responded: "We are in talks and will continue to hold them."