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The Netherlands reverses course and pulls out of Eurovision 2027 over Israel's participation

The Netherlands will not take part in Eurovision 2027 because no Dutch broadcaster is willing to take responsibility for the entry over Israel's participation, the broadcaster association NPO said, reversing last month's plan to return.

L 47% · C 24% · R 29% · 17 outlets

Left 1 · Centre-left 7 · Centre 4 · Centre-right 4 · Right 1

ContextSources by leanVideoDeep diveFollow the moneyMore coverage

How each side framed it

Left-leaning outlets

Left-rated outlets headline it: “The Netherlands pulls out of Eurovision 2027 due to Israel ‘sensitivities’” (Al Jazeera); “Netherlands drops out of 2027 Eurovision in protest over Israel's participation” (Haaretz).

Centre outlets

Centre-rated outlets headline it: “Netherlands pulls out of Eurovision again over Israel participation” (BBC News); “ESC 2027: Netherlands pulls out of Eurovision Song Contest over Israel 'sensitivities' in U-turn decision” (The Scotsman).

Right-leaning outlets

Right-rated outlets headline it: “Eurovision ‘deeply sorry’ as Netherlands pulls out of 2027 contest” (Evening Standard); “Netherlands to boycott Eurovision 2027 because of Israel-Gaza war” (Jerusalem Post).

Context

The wider geopolitical and historical background, in our words, each point linked to the source it comes from. Background, not a verdict on today's story. How we write it.

The Eurovision Song Contest is organised by the European Broadcasting Union.

Checked 2026-10-29. Links were opened and returned a page that day.

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Sources by lean

Balanced: the same number of articles from the left, the centre and the right (up to 3 each). The bar above still counts every rated outlet we found. Bias and factual ratings come from Media Bias/Fact Check. How we balance · All ratings.

Left 3

Centre 3

Right 3

Showing 3 from each side of 17 rated outlets (L 8 / C 4 / R 5). More coverage

Video

News reports from outlets with a bias rating, balanced like the articles: the same number from the left, the centre and the right. A side with no matching video is named, never padded. Every video was checked to exist on YouTube on the day; titles are the publishers' own. Links open YouTube; nothing from YouTube loads on this page. How we pick.

Left 1

Centre 0

No centre-rated outlet video found for this story. We don't fill the gap with an unrelated video.

Right 0

No right-rated outlet video found for this story. We don't fill the gap with an unrelated video.

Showing 1 from each side that has one; none found from the centre or right.

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Deep dive

The two opposites side by side, seeking to understand rather than judge. These are possible readings of the coverage, built from the articles linked on this page; they are not claims about anyone's motives. How we write it.

Seen from the left

“The Netherlands pulls out of Eurovision 2027 due to Israel ‘sensitivities’” Al Jazeera

A possible reading: broadcasters are right to act on their concerns about the war in Gaza.

Seen from the right

“Eurovision ‘deeply sorry’ as Netherlands pulls out of 2027 contest” Evening Standard

A possible reading: the contest should stay non-political, and singling out Israel is unfair.

Open questions

  • Which other broadcasters have said they will not take part in 2027?
  • What has the EBU said about Israel's participation?

Follow the money

Not yet researched. We haven't yet looked at who gains or loses financially from this story, or who funds the main voices on each side. When we do, we check company filings, the Electoral Commission donations register, lobbying registers, annual reports, InfluenceMap and OpenSecrets, and we apply the same checks to every side. How we follow the money.

Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (18 outlets)
OutletLeanOwnership & funding (MBFC)
HaaretzLeftAccording to the Financial Times, Haaretz does not report its earnings. They were also the first Israeli paper to introduce the paywall. For subscription fees, please see here. source
Al JazeeraCentre-leftAl Jazeera is owned and funded by the state of Qatar. The founder and Chairman of the Board is Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, a member of Qatar’s ruling family, the House of Thani. According to a Fortune article, i n 2016, state-funded broadcaster Al Jazeera laid off 500 workers due to Qatar’s financial troubles resulting from low global prices for oil and natural gas. source
EuronewsCentre-leftEuronews is owned by Alpac Capital, a Portugal-based investment fund that acquired an 88% stake in July 2022, with the remaining 12% held by government-supported broadcasters from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Ownership also has business ties with Hungary’s Viktor Orban. source
Politico EuropeCentre-leftOn 8/26/2021, German publisher Axel Springer purchased Politico and Politico Europe for a reported 1 billion dollars. Axel Springer owns numerous publications, including Bild, Business Insider, and Fakt. source
The IndependentCentre-leftThe Independent is owned by Independent Print Limited, a company owned by the Lebedev family (Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny Lebedev). In 2017, Saudi Businessman Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel bought a 30% stake in the Independent online newspaper. Advertising and subscription generate revenue for the paper..push({}); source
Times of IsraelCentre-leftThe Times of Israel is co-owned by David Horovitz and Seth Klarman. Revenue is generated through advertising..push({}); source
Washington PostCentre-leftIn 2013, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos bought The Washington Post for $250 million. Bezos is a frequent target of Trump, who has accused the businessman of using the Postal System as its “ Delivery Boy. ” The newspaper’s executive editor, Martin Baron, said Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon, is not involved in its news coverage. source
Ynet NewsCentre-leftYedioth Ahronoth owns Ynetnews. Advertising derives revenue. source
BBC NewsCentreThe BBC operates under a Royal Charter. Oversight is managed by the BBC Board, and regulatory authority rests with Ofcom. source
France 24CentreFrance 24 is owned by France Médias Monde, a state-owned French holding company that supervises and coordinates the activities of the major public media organizations broadcasting or publishing internationally from France. Besides government funding, they also generate revenue through advertising. source
ReutersCentreIn April 2008, the British company Reuters Group was acquired by Thomson Corporation and formed Thomson Reuters. source
The ScotsmanCentreJPIMedia owns the Scotsman. Advertising and subscription fees generate revenue..push({}); source
Evening StandardCentre-rightThe newspaper is majority-owned by Russian businessman and former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev and the Daily Mail and General Trust. Revenue is generated through advertising. source
Jerusalem PostCentre-rightIn 1989, the paper was purchased by Hollinger Inc. for $17-million, which Canadian-born British Conservative Conrad Black owned. Conrad Black later was charged with “swindling his company, Hollinger International, of $60 million.” He was serving a prison sentence; however, in 2019, President Donald Trump pardoned him. source
The Jewish ChronicleCentre-rightIn 2020, The Jewish Chronicle was purchased by a consortium of philanthropists led by Sir Robbie Gibb and others, rescuing the paper from financial collapse. However, the full details of its ownership and funding remain unclear, as the financial backers of the consortium have not been fully disclosed. Speculation about involvement from figures such as billionaire Paul E. source
Washington TimesCentre-rightOperations Holdings Inc is the Washington Times owner, owned by the Unification Church of South Korea, through their holding company HSA-UWC (Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity). In 1954, Reverend Sun Myung Moon founded this religious movement in South Korea, known for its mass weddings, and its members are referred to as “Moonies.” source
BreitbartRightAfter the death of Andrew Breitbart in 2012, Larry Solov became CEO and president of Breitbart News. In 2017, according to Politico, Larry Solov revealed the owner of Breitbart as “himself, founder Andrew Breitbart’s widow, Susie Breitbart, and the Republican mega-donor family, the Mercers.” Further, Solov also stated that he wants “to disclose as little as possible about financial and ownership structure.” source
Jewish NewsNot ratedNo ownership data found