Spain has become the latest country to threaten a boycott of next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if Israel competes.
It is now the fifth broadcaster to threaten withdrawal over Israel’s participation, following recent announcements by the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia and Iceland – but the first of the competition’s so-called “Big Five”.
This is the group that also includes Britain, Germany, Italy and France, the countries which provide the biggest financial contributions to the event, with participants automatically qualifying for the final round.
RTVE, the Spanish state broadcaster, announced the decision following a board vote on Tuesday.
The measure, proposed by RTVE president Jose Pablo Lopez, garnered 10 votes in favour, four against, and one abstention in the 15-member board, the broadcaster said in a statement.
Recent editions of the Eurovision Song Contest, which always expressed political neutrality, have involved protests against Israel’s continued military action in Gaza, launched in response to the attack by Hamas militants on 7 October, 2023, which left some 1,200 people dead.
Israeli contestant Yuval Raphael finished second in this year’s competition, which was held in Basel, Switzerland, in May. Austrian singer JJ, who won, has also called for Israel’s exclusion in 2026.
Following the Netherlands’ announcement last week, the European Broadcasting Union, which organises the event, said it understood the “concerns and deeply held views around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East”. It is yet to comment on the latest vote from Spain.
“We are still consulting with all EBU members to gather views on how we manage participation and geopolitical tensions around the Eurovision Song Contest,” director Martin Green said in a statement.
Next year’s Eurovision will be the 70th anniversary of the event, and will take place at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna on 16 May.
Israel has denied accusations it is committing genocide and claimed its actions have been in self-defence against Hamas. More than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its military action.
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