Spain threatens to boycott Eurovision if Israel allowed to compete

Pro-Palestinian activists stage a protest against Israel’s candidate during the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 opening ceremony in Basel, Switzerland, on 11 May 2025

Ben Kroll reports in Haaretz on 15 September 2025:

Spain should not participate in the next Eurovision if Israel is allowed to take part, Spanish Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun said on Monday, thus joining several other countries who refuse to take part in the continent’s largest annual song competition due to the ongoing war in Gaza.

Speaking with state-owned radio broadcaster RNE, Urtasun said that he’s “concerned” with the notion that Israel will take part in the Eurovision contest, which is scheduled to take place in Austria in May 2026.

Citing similar decisions by other countries such as the Netherlands and Ireland, Urtasun explained that Spain should withdraw from the competition if Israel is allowed to participate.

Urtasun, who served as a Member of the European Parliament for nearly a decade before becoming Spain’s Culture Minister in November 2023, also praised the pro-Palestinian demonstrations that led to the cancellation of the last stage of the Vuelta a España cycle race on Sunday.  The protesters “achieved their goal and sent a clear message to the world,” Urtasun told RNE, “We do not tolerate sporting and cultural events normalizing genocide.”

Conversely, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez condemned the violent protests during the Vuelta, though on Monday, he said Israel and Russia should be banned from international sports competitions until “barbaric acts” end, referring to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

In May, Sanchez was the first European leader to call for Israel’s removal from Eurovision, citing Russia as a precedent.  “No one reacted in shock when Russia was removed from international competitions, and indeed Russia did not participate in Eurovision after invading Ukraine three years ago,” he said at a ceremony in Madrid, two days after the finale of the 2025 competition.

Two days earlier, on May 18, Prime Minister Sánchez had described Israel as a “genocide state” – one of the most forceful condemnations by a European leader since the Gaza war began. His remarks intensified calls for Israel’s exclusion from cultural and sporting events across the continent.

Spanish public broadcaster RTVE has also escalated its position in recent months, in March, formally requesting that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) discuss Israel’s participation in Eurovision. One day after Eurovision concluded, RTVE expanded its request to include a formal review of the voting system – following Israel’s second-place finish in the 2025 competition.

RTVE has also faced censure from EU media regulators. During the semi-final broadcast, the network aired a segment that mentioned the number of civilian casualties in Gaza before introducing Israel’s contestant, Yuval Raphael. In response to a formal warning from the EBU, RTVE included a disclaimer during the final broadcast: “When human rights are at stake, silence is not an option. Justice and peace for Palestine.”

On Friday, the Netherlands’ public broadcaster announced that the country would not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest if Israel took part, citing the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

A day earlier, Ireland’s public broadcaster, RTÉ, issued a similar statement.

In last year’s contest, Israel’s “New Day Will Rise,” performed by Nova festival survivor Yuval Raphael, stunned the global audience when it surged ahead in the public voting with 297 points, more than any other country. to take. Raphael finished in second place, just behind JJ of Austria.

Speaking in an interview with several media outlets after his victory, as reported by El País, Austria’s newly crowned Eurovision winner, Johannes Pietsch – who performs under the name JJ – publicly backed the growing wave of criticism, saying: “It’s very disappointing to see Israel still participating in the contest. I’d like Eurovision to be held next year in Vienna – and without Israel.”

In response to the growing backlash, the EBU stated that it is “taking all concerns seriously.” However, as of mid-September, the EBU has yet to announce any changes to the rules or to clarify Israel’s participation in the 2026 contest, scheduled to be held in Vienna next May.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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