16.09.2025 18:20
Spain announced that it would boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if Israel participates. The RTVE board made the decision with 10 votes in favor. Meanwhile, the Spanish Ministry of Defense had also canceled two major arms contracts worth approximately 1 billion euros in total.
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Spain's national broadcaster RTVE has decided to boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if Israel participates.
In recent years, Eurovision has been at the center of intense debates due to Israel's military attacks on Gaza; some European countries have announced that they will boycott the contest if Israel participates.
EUROVISION DECISION AFTER SPAIN'S ARMS EMBARGO
Spain has joined the countries that have decided to boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, which will be held in Vienna, Austria, if Israel is allowed to participate. The board of directors of the Spanish state radio and television institution RTVE approved the decision with 10 votes in favor, 4 against, and 1 abstention.
The broadcaster also announced in a statement that this decision would not change the plans for the Benidorm Fest 2026, which is held to determine the representative for the Eurovision song contest.
CANCELLED 2 MAJOR ARMS CONTRACTS
On the other hand, the Spanish Ministry of Defense has also canceled two major arms contracts worth approximately 1 billion euros. The canceled agreements include the 700 million euro Silam rocket launcher system and the 287.5 million euro Spike L.R. anti-tank missile system.
SPAIN'S PRIME MINISTER SANCHEZ HAD CITED RUSSIA AS AN EXAMPLE
Spain's Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, expressed his concerns regarding the issue last week and stated that Spain should withdraw from Eurovision. In May, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also referred to the ban imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, stating that Israel should be expelled from the contest.
ONE OF THE TOP FIVE COUNTRIES PROVIDING THE MOST FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION TO EUROVISION
Spain, which first participated in the Eurovision song contest in 1961, has held the title of the longest-serving participant country that has never withdrawn from the contest since then. Spain is also among the top five countries providing the most financial contribution to Eurovision.
MANY COUNTRIES HAVE DECIDED TO BOYCOTT EUROVISION
Previously, the national broadcasters of Slovenia, Iceland, Ireland, and the Netherlands had also announced that they would not participate in Eurovision if Israel took part.
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