AVROTROS and NPO: Eurovision Song Contest more influenced by tensions

"AVROTROS and the NPO strongly believe in the apolitical and unifying value of the Eurovision Song Contest. However, we see that the event is increasingly influenced by social and geopolitical tensions," the broadcaster and the NPO said in a joint statement. "Israel's participation confronts us with the question to what extent the song contest still truly functions as an apolitical, unifying and cultural event. We want to make that question a topic of discussion within the EBU, together with other countries."

In the eyes of AVROTROS, the song festival must "return to its core". "A unifying, cultural event that rises above political tensions. The current situation raises questions about the limits of participation, the role of governments and the credibility of the apolitical character. That requires a fundamental and joint reflection within the EBU."

There has been a lot of commotion about Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest in the past two years. The performance of Israeli singer Yuval Raphael was interrupted several times last week.

There was also criticism of the points that were distributed by televoting. The Belgian broadcaster VRT and Spanish broadcaster RTVE wondered how the twelve public points from their country could go to Israel, while the professional juries gave that entry zero points. They want an investigation into the voting system. The EBU already announced on Monday that the televoting had been "correct".

Politics has also weighed in on the debate. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called on the EBU on Monday to exclude Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest, as it did with Russia. "We cannot have double standards when it comes to culture," Sánchez said.