Spain announces the resignation of Eurovision 2026 if Israel takes part in the music competition.
The decision was taken by the Spanish public broadcaster council RTVE, motivating her with a protest against politics Israel to Gaza. This is the first country in the so-called country. "Big Five" (the largest EBU payers) who are officially threatening Eurovision boycott against a political background. Other European broadcasters also speak in a similar tone, who consider withdrawing if Israel is allowed to participate.
Spain resigns from Eurovision? Overview
Spanish Minister for Culture Ernest Urtasun publicly opposed Israel's participation in Eurovision 2026. In his opinion, the country's participation in the music competition would mean normalisation of the situation that Spain does not want to support, due to the armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and Israeli policy towards Palestine. Although the formal decision to participate belongs to Spanish public television RTVE, its board has already decided to withdraw the country if Israel remains a participant.
Political motivation and context
Spain's decision has a strong political background:
- Protest against Israeli military policy actions in Gaza.
- Opposition to the "normalisation" of the situation which representatives of Spain and other countries find unacceptable internationally.
- Emphasis on double standards in world culture and sport – Russia was previously excluded after aggression against Ukraine.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez publicly supported the boycott, and the Spanish government imposed an embargo on arms trafficking with Israel.
Spain is a member of the "Big Five" – countries that are the largest financial sponsors of Eurovision and have a guaranteed place in the final of the competition. Her resignation is a big blow to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and a significant change in the history of the competition.
Other countries such as Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland join the boycott.
