Spain has announced it may boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest unless Israel is barred from participating, joining a growing list of countries taking the same position over the ongoing war in Gaza.
The Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia had already threatened to withdraw from the competition. Spain’s move increases pressure on both Israel and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the annual contest.
The decision was made by Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE during a board meeting in Madrid on Tuesday.
Tensions between Spain and Israel have been rising. On Monday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he would like Israel banned from international sporting events after protests disrupted the Vuelta cycling race over the presence of an Israeli-owned team.
The EBU announced last week that it was consulting member countries on how to handle “geopolitical tensions” surrounding the event. Broadcasters have until mid-December to decide whether they will participate.
In 2022, Russia was banned from Eurovision following its invasion of Ukraine. Despite similar calls for exclusion, Israel has continued to compete over the past two years.
The Eurovision Song Contest finale is set to take place in Vienna in May 2025.