In a letter acknowledged by RTVE, concerns raised by various civil society groups in Spain regarding the situation in Gaza have been highlighted, specifically in relation to Israel’s participation in the upcoming competition finals on May 17, in Switzerland.
In this context, RTVE asserts that it would be appropriate for the EBU to recognize the existence of this debate and to provide space for reflection among member broadcasters about the participation of the Israeli public broadcaster in the competition, concludes the Spanish public group.
The letter is signed by RTVE’s president, José Pablo López, and is addressed to the EBU’s director-general, Noel Curran.
Thirty-seven countries are expected to participate in the 2025 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, set to take place in May in Basel, Switzerland.
This year, Israeli broadcaster KAN has selected Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the October 7 Hamas attack, as its candidate.
RTVE’s request follows petitions launched in Finland in late March, urging public broadcaster Yle to persuade the EBU to exclude Israel from the 2025 edition due to the war in Gaza.
Last year’s 68th Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden, was marked by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Since Israel’s participation was announced, several calls were made by European political representatives and artists for the country’s participation to be vetoed.
Protests occurred near the arena hosting the final, and the participation of the Netherlands’ representative was canceled following an “incident” backstage with the Tel Aviv delegation.
At the time, Iolanda, the Portuguese representative, appeared in the flag parade wearing a dress by a Palestinian brand and had her nails painted with the ‘keffiyeh’ pattern, a symbol of Palestinian resistance. On stage, after her performance, the Portuguese singer expressed that peace would prevail, similar to other participants, such as representatives from France and Ireland.
Spanish Vice President and Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz remarked at the time that the Eurovision Song Contest is about joy, peace, and diversity, not a showcase to whitewash the genocide of the Palestinian people by Israel.
This year, Portugal is represented at Eurovision by Napa with the song “Deslocado.”
