After Slovenia, Spain threatens to withdraw from Eurovision if Israel is not excluded!

The Eurovision Song Contest is facing one of the biggest crises in its history, with Israel’s participation at the centre of a debate questioned by an increasing number of countries. After Slovenia threatened to pull out, similar signals are now coming from Spain.

Spain, one of the key countries of the „Big Five“, is signalling that it could leave the competition if Israel is not excluded, which would have far-reaching consequences for the future of Eurovision.

Spanish Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun, on behalf of the Sumar coalition party, openly stated that withdrawal from the contest could become an option. Speaking on the public broadcaster TVE, he criticised Israel’s participation and emphasised that Spain had already officially requested its exclusion. „If that doesn’t happen, measures will have to be taken,“ Urtasun stated clearly.

Although the final decision rests with the national broadcaster RTVE, Urtasun’s statement indicates strong pressure from the government. His stance is consistent with the position of the Slovenian public broadcaster RTV SLO, which has already announced it will withdraw from the next contest if Israel remains on the list of participants.

You can read more about Slovenia’s reactions to Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest HERE.

Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez: „We cannot have double standards“

Urtasun’s statement is just the latest in a series of similar moves by Spanish politicians. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez recently publicly called on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to ban Israel from participating, drawing a parallel with Russia, which was expelled after its invasion of Ukraine. On that occasion, Sánchez said:

„No one protested when Russia had to leave international competitions, including Eurovision, after its invasion of Ukraine. Therefore, Israel should not be allowed to participate either, because we cannot have double standards in culture.“

Sánchez, whose government has criticised Israel and last year officially recognised the State of Palestine, openly expressed solidarity with the „people of Palestine who are experiencing the injustice of war and bombing“.

In parliament, he even called Israel a „genocidal state“, which provoked a sharp reaction from the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

Public voting and a request for an audit

Despite the clear position of the government and the Prime Minister, the Spanish public at Eurovision 2025 awarded Israel a maximum of 12 points in the televote. This result surprised many, and the Israeli Minister for Diaspora Affairs, Amichai Chikli, ironically commented on social media that it was a „slap in the face“ for Prime Minister Sánchez.

In response, the Spanish public broadcaster RTVE requested an audit of the voting results, suspecting that the televoting system had been compromised by „war conflicts“. Before the final of the contest, RTVE violated EBU rules, which prohibit political messages, by broadcasting a message in support of Palestine. As a result, the EBU threatened them with sanctions.

The EBU, under increasing pressure from the public and national broadcasters, has extended the deadline for withdrawal from the contest without penalty until December, when a final decision on Israel’s participation is expected at the General Assembly. Spain’s withdrawal, following Slovenia, could trigger an avalanche and lead to the biggest split of countries from Eurovision.

Will the EBU give in to pressure or will the contest find itself facing a serious schism? What do you think will happen in the coming months?