Spain has ignited a new chapter in the ongoing controversy surrounding the Eurovision Song Contest, officially declaring it will boycott the 2026 event if Israel is allowed to participate. The decision, made on September 16, 2025, by Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE, marks the first time a member of Eurovision’s influential “Big Five” has threatened such action, escalating a debate that has been brewing across Europe since Israel’s military campaign in Gaza began nearly two years ago.
The RTVE board’s vote was decisive: 10 in favor, 4 against, and one abstention. According to Deadline, this measure was proposed by RTVE president Jose Pablo Lopez and received overwhelming support. The move places Spain alongside the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia, and Iceland—all of which have threatened to withdraw from the competition if Israel remains on the roster for the 2026 contest, scheduled to take place in Vienna next May. With an estimated global audience of over 100 million, Eurovision’s cultural and political stakes have rarely been higher.
Spain’s stance is not merely symbolic. As a member of the “Big Five”—the group of countries that provide the largest financial contributions to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and automatically qualify for the contest’s finals—its withdrawal would have significant ramifications. The other four “Big Five” countries (France, Germany, Italy, and the UK) have not issued similar threats, but Spain’s move increases the pressure on the EBU to address the growing calls for Israel’s exclusion.
“Spain must do everything possible to ensure that Israel is not included in Eurovision. And if Europe fails to rise to the occasion, our country must act accordingly,” Spanish Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun declared in a public statement, as reported by NBC News. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez echoed these sentiments, drawing a pointed comparison between Israel and Russia’s expulsion from international competitions after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. “Our position is clear and unequivocal: until the barbarity ceases, neither Russia nor Israel should participate in any international competition,” Sánchez said.
The diplomatic temperature between Spain and Israel has risen in tandem with these developments. After Sánchez’s comments, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused the Spanish leader of antisemitism and dishonesty. The Spanish Foreign Ministry responded by summoning Israel’s chargé d’affaires for an official protest. Meanwhile, Israel’s Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar condemned Spain’s threat as a “disgraceful and hypocritical” step that contradicts the values and unity at the heart of Eurovision. “Eurovision is a celebration of music, culture, and fraternity among nations—not a stage for political point-scoring,” Zohar insisted, according to NBC News.
The controversy comes amid a wider wave of cultural and sporting protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have disrupted high-profile events in Spain, including the Vuelta a España bicycle race, where protests over the participation of an Israeli-owned team led to race interruptions and threats from riders to quit. Elsewhere in Europe, the Flanders Festival Ghent in Belgium canceled a concert by the Munich Philharmonic due to concerns over the views of its incoming Israeli conductor, Lahav Shani.
The roots of the current backlash stretch back to October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in more than 250 hostages. Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has, according to Palestinian health officials, resulted in over 64,000 deaths, with much of Gaza’s population left homeless and facing starvation. The humanitarian toll has fueled international outrage and spurred calls for Israel’s exclusion from cultural events like Eurovision.
Eurovision itself has become a flashpoint for these tensions. The 2024 contest saw Israeli entrant Eden Golan finish fifth, but her performance was met with boos and death threats. In 2025, Israeli singer Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the Nova festival massacre, finished second despite her song’s relatively low popularity on streaming platforms like Spotify and YouTube. The result prompted accusations of “external interference” and calls for an overhaul of Eurovision’s voting system. Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside the Malmö venue in Sweden, protesting Israel’s inclusion and highlighting the contest’s increasingly political undertones.
Eurovision’s rules, in theory, prohibit political content, aiming to keep the event a celebration of music and unity. Yet, as NBC News notes, real-world conflicts have repeatedly seeped into the contest. Past editions have been influenced by tensions between Russia and Ukraine, as well as disputes between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The EBU now finds itself in a familiar but particularly fraught position, having banned Russia from Eurovision after its invasion of Ukraine, but allowing Israel to compete despite mounting protests and boycotts.
The EBU has stated, according to The Hollywood Reporter and The Associated Press, that it is still consulting with member broadcasters and will not make a final decision on Israel’s participation until December 2025. A spokesperson rejected reports that Israel had been asked to compete under a neutral flag or withdraw voluntarily, emphasizing the complexity of managing participation amid geopolitical tensions.
The debate is not confined to government officials and broadcasters. Previous Eurovision winners have also weighed in. Nemo, the 2024 winner, told the Huffington Post, “I don’t support the fact that Israel is part of Eurovision at the moment.” JJ, the Austrian singer who won the 2025 contest, expressed disappointment to Spain’s El Pais, stating, “It is very disappointing to see Israel still participating in the contest.” He added his hope that the 2026 contest in Vienna would not include Israel.
For many, Eurovision stands as a symbol of European cultural unity, a stage where music transcends borders and politics—at least in theory. Yet, as the conflict in Gaza grinds on and the death toll rises, the contest has become a battleground for competing visions of justice, solidarity, and the role of culture in global affairs. The outcome of the EBU’s deliberations, and whether Israel will ultimately participate in Vienna next May, remains uncertain. What is clear is that the contest’s claim to political neutrality has never faced a test quite like this one.
As the December deadline approaches, all eyes will be on the EBU and its member broadcasters. The decision they make will not only shape the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest but may also redefine the boundaries between culture and politics in an increasingly divided Europe.