Spain joined a growing group of countries on Tuesday threatening to skip the Eurovision Song Contest unless Israel is barred from participating over the Gaza conflict.
The Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia had already taken similar positions. Spain’s move adds pressure on both Israel and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the contest. The decision was made by Spanish public broadcaster RTVE during a board meeting in Madrid.
The announcement follows strained diplomatic ties between Spain and Israel after protests against the participation of an Israeli-owned cycling team disrupted the Spanish Vuelta race. Spain’s prime minister said Monday that he would support banning Israel from sporting events.
The EBU said last week it is consulting members on how to “manage participation and geopolitical tensions” around the contest, giving countries until mid-December to decide whether to take part. Russia was banned from Eurovision following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but Israel has competed in the past two years despite controversies.
Eurovision’s grand finale is scheduled to take place in Vienna in May.