Spain’s Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, has advocated for the possibility of withdrawing Spain from the Eurovision Song Contest until Israel is expelled, stating that “Israel’s participation in international forums cannot be normalized.”
“I don’t believe we can normalize Israel’s participation in international forums as if nothing were happening,” said the minister during an interview with RTVE’s La Hora de La 1 program on Monday.
Despite acknowledging that the decision to participate in the European contest rests with TVE, the country’s public broadcaster, Urtasun asserted that “measures will have to be taken.”
“It’s a decision of RTVE, but what I can say is that if Israel participates and we cannot have them expelled, then measures such as the withdrawal you mentioned will have to be implemented,” he stated.
The minister further emphasized that events like Eurovision are “a certain representation of the country” and not just an “individual artist” participating in the contest.
In May, Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, previously advocated for the expulsion of Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest and other international competitions, as was the case with Russia after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“We cannot allow double standards,” Sánchez remarked at the time, noting that “no one was shocked” when Russia was excluded from international sporting competitions or initiatives like Eurovision.
Moreover, Israel’s participation in the 69th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland, led to tensions between Spain’s public television RTVE and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
During the introduction of Israeli contestant Yuval Raphael’s performance in the first semifinal, Spanish commentators Tony Aguilar and Julia Varela noted that RTVE formally requested the festival’s organization to open a debate on Israel’s continued participation. The commentators also highlighted the “more than 50,000” Palestinian fatalities, including 15,000 children.
In response to the comments, the EBU warned RTVE of a fine if such statements were repeated in Saturday’s final. Nonetheless, ahead of the final, the Spanish broadcaster published a message on its social media and aired a statement on a black background reading, “In the face of human rights, silence is not an option. Peace and justice for Palestine.”
The criticism over participation and the 12 points awarded by the public to Israel’s song have further fueled controversy dividing Spain, and the Eurovision community at large.
Notícias ao Minuto with Lusa | 23:59 – 21/05/2025
Spain is not the only country advocating for Israel’s expulsion
Last week, Slovenia announced it would not participate in Eurovision if Israel remained among the candidates. RTVSLO, the country’s public broadcaster, emphasized that this decision “depends on the actions of the EBU” and a final decision will be made in the coming months.
This year, Israel was on the verge of surpassing Austria in the Eurovision finale, with Austria clinching victory in the final moments. Austria, represented by JJ and ‘Wasted Love,’ received a total of 436 points: 258 from the jury and 178 from the public. Israel, with Yuval Raphael and ‘New Day Will Rise,’ amassed 357 points, including 60 from the jury and 297 from the public.
Concerns are rising over “irregularities” in the voting process of this year’s Eurovision, particularly the disparity between jury and public votes, which awarded the maximum score to Israel.
Notícias ao Minuto | 22:39 – 07/06/2025
Also read: Eurovision artist boycotts their own music until Israel’s expulsion
