Spanish Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun said on Monday, September 15th that Spain should boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if Israel participates, joining other European countries that have threatened to withdraw. He told Spanish public radio
We have to ensure that Israel does not take part in the next edition of Eurovision. Just as Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland and also the Netherlands have already done, if we do not succeed in expelling Israel, Spain should not participate.
The upcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna has sparked a fresh wave of Israelphobia among some European countries. Official representatives of several nations have threatened to pull out if Israel participates.
The Netherlands has announced it will boycott Eurovision 2026, citing “the ongoing and severe human suffering in Gaza” as its motivation.
In Ireland, campaigners are calling for Israel to be banned from the contest, with national broadcaster RTÉ requesting talks with competition organisers the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to discuss the issue.
