Spain has decided not to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest if Israel also takes part. This decision was made on Tuesday morning following a vote by the Board of Directors of the Spanish Radio and Television Corporation.
The corporation’s president, José Pablo López, had previously informed board members about the possibility of withdrawing from the contest. This was announced on Monday during the ‘Directo al grano’ program, broadcasted in the late afternoon on channel La 1. The decision has now been confirmed.
Spain becomes the fifth country to announce this decision, joining the Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland, and Ireland.
Nations such as Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland, and Spain have confirmed or threatened not to participate in the next Eurovision edition in Austria if Israel is not expelled due to its offensive in Gaza.
Márcia Guímaro Rodrigues | 18:04 – 12/09/2025
Spain had already ‘threatened’ decision
The possibility of Spain withdrawing from the Eurovision Song Contest emerged through the country’s Culture Minister, Ernest Urtasun, last week when he stated that “Israel’s participation in international forums cannot be normalized.”
“I do not believe we can normalize Israel’s participation in international forums as if nothing is happening,” the minister said in statements to the La Hora de La 1 program on RTVE.
“It is a decision for RTVE, but what I can say is that if Israel participates and we cannot expel it, then measures like withdrawal will have to be considered,” he stated.
Spain is not the only country advocating for Israel’s expulsion
Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Iceland are the other countries that have confirmed they will not participate in the next Eurovision edition in Austria unless Israel is expelled due to the offensive in Gaza.
The Dutch state broadcaster, AVOTROS, argued that “it can no longer justify Israel’s participation in the current situation, given the severe and ongoing human suffering in Gaza” and revealed it has “been holding regular meetings with the EBU and other European public broadcasters about the future and nature of the Eurovision Song Contest,” including Israel’s participation under current circumstances.
Meanwhile, Irish broadcaster RTÉ “considers Ireland’s participation inconceivable, given the continuing and terrible loss of life in Gaza,” and Slovenia’s public broadcaster RTVLO announced it would only confirm participation in Eurovision once “it becomes clear if the EBU will make any decision regarding Israel’s participation.”
Iceland, on the other hand, stated that withdrawal is “likely if there is no change in the EBU’s position.”
Israel avoids controversy
Despite the controversy, the director of Israel’s public radio Kan refused to withdraw from Eurovision 2026.
“There is no reason for Israel to cease being an important part of this cultural event, which cannot become political,” argued Golan Yochpaz, the radio’s executive director, at an event presenting the broadcaster’s new content for this fall, as reported by ‘The Times of Israel’.
