(ANSA-AFP) - ROME, AUG 24 - The Netherlands will not participate in next year's Eurovision Song Contest. The broadcaster that airs the event announced this, stating that the competition "can no longer be considered neutral" due to divisions linked to the war in Gaza. "It is undeniable that international conflicts are increasingly influencing the Contest, undermining its neutral character. The Eurovision Song Contest has therefore become a platform for division," said Taco Zimmerman, director general of broadcaster Avrotros. The statement does not mention Israel, but several countries boycotted last year's edition in protest against Israeli participation. (ANSA-AFP).