Spain Will Boycott Eurovision if Zionist Entity Takes Part: Public TV
Spain will boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if the Zionist entity takes part, public broadcaster RTVE said Tuesday. RTVE is responsible for selecting the country’s entry for the event.
While other European nations have threatened to pull out, Spain is the first of the so-called “big five” countries, which provide the largest funding for Eurovision, to announce a potential withdrawal.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises Eurovision, is set to decide in December whether the Zionist entity will participate in the 2026 edition. RTVE said that if the EBU keeps the Zionist entity’s public broadcaster KAN as a participant, it would have to carry out its threat to withdraw for the first time in history.
The announcement follows comments by Spanish Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun that Spain should boycott the contest due to the Zionist entity’s military offensive in Gaza. Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez previously said the Zionist entity should be excluded from Eurovision over the Gaza campaign, similar to Russia’s exclusion since 2022. “What we cannot allow is double standards in culture,” he said.
Sanchez also called for the Zionist entity to be barred from international sport after pro-Palestinian protesters forced the Vuelta a Espana cycling race in Madrid to be abandoned over the participation of a Zionist team.
Eurovision is the world’s largest live televised music event. This year’s edition in Basel drew 166 million viewers across 37 countries. Austria’s JJ won, giving Vienna hosting rights for 2026. Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland, and the Netherlands have also threatened to boycott if the Zionist entity participates.
The EBU said in July it would consult members on participation, geopolitical tensions, and approaches to similar challenges. Pro-Palestinian protests have occurred in Malmo in 2024 and in Basel in May over the Zionist entity’s participation.
