Momentum is building to exclude Israel from the world’s largest music competition as outrage grows around the world about its assault on the Gaza Strip.
Spain, on Tuesday, became the latest country to threaten to boycott Israel’s continued participation of the Eurovision Song Contest, the glitzy singing competition that is watched by some 160 million people around the world every May.
In a statement, Spanish broadcaster RTVE said its board had voted to withdraw from the 2026 competition if Israel participates.
It came after Irish broadcaster RTÉ and Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS also issued statements earlier this month, saying they would not take part if Israel was allowed to compete.
Spanish politicians have been among the most vocal critics of Israel in recent months and have made no secret of their preference for Israel not to take part in Eurovision.
“Spain must do everything possible to ensure that Israel is not included in Eurovision. And if Europe fails to rise to the occasion, our country must act accordingly,” Spanish Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun said in a post on Bluesky on Sunday.
Israel called out Spain's decision, with Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar calling it a "disgraceful and hypocritical" step that contradicted the values of Eurovision and "the spirit of unity at its core."
“Eurovision is a celebration of music, culture, and fraternity among nations — not a stage for political point-scoring," he said.
Speaking a day after pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted the Vuelta a España bicycle race over the participation of an Israeli team Monday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Israel should not take part in international competitions. “Our position is clear and unequivocal: until the barbarity ceases, neither Russia nor Israel should participate in any international competition,” he said.
Protesters also disrupted the race on Wednesday, prompting some riders to threaten to quit.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar responded to Sanchez's comments by calling him “an antisemite and a liar” in a message on X on Monday. The Spanish Foreign Ministry said it would summon the Israeli charge d’affaires Tuesday to protest.
The Eurovision boycott threats come as Israel faces increasing isolation in the cultural sector over its actions in Gaza.
Organizers of the Flanders Festival Ghent in Belgium called off a concert by Germany’s famed Munich Philharmonic citing a lack of “clarity” over the views of its incoming Israeli conductor, Lahav Shani.
Shani, who is the music director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, is due to become the German orchestra's chief conductor next year.
But ahead of the performance in the Belgian city of Ghent, festival organizers said they were unable to determine Shani's current “attitude to the genocidal regime in Tel Aviv,” although he has previously spoken in favor of peace and reconciliation.
Israel vehemently denies that it is committing genocide in Gaza.
But at a recent qualifier match between Israel and Italy for next year's soccer world cup, Italian fans could be seen turning their backs as Israel’s national anthem played before the game which was played in Hungary due to the ongoing security situation.
Israel first took part in Eurovision in 1973, and while there have been small protests against its participation for years, they have increased significantly since the country’s war in Gaza began.
The conflict, sparked by the Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Israel that killed some 1,200 people and saw hundreds taken hostage in Gaza, has prompted international condemnation as the death toll in the enclave has passed 64,000, according to Palestinian health officials.
The two contests that have taken place since the start of the war have seen calls for a boycott, street protests and boos in the arena during the Israeli entrant’s performance. Israeli fans attending this year’s contest in Basel, Switzerland, were warned by their country’s national security council to “avoid displaying Israeli and Jewish symbols in public.”
Eurovision rules insist that songs cannot have political undertones and that the even must remain nonpolitical. That has proved hard when bringing together dozens of nations, some of whom have frosty — or worse — relations.
In previous contests, real-world tensions between Russia and fellow competitors Georgia and Ukraine seeped into the contest. Azerbaijan and Armenia were locked in a border dispute over the region Nagorno-Karabakh while both competing in the contest, though Armenia decided against competing when Azerbaijan hosted in 2012.
Israeli broadcaster Kan did not immediately respond to requests for comment from NBC News.
Previous Eurovision winners have also come out against Israel’s participation. “I don’t support the fact that Israel is part of Eurovision at the moment,” Nemo, who won in 2024, told the Huffington Post in May.
And after winning this year’s contest Austrian singer JJ told Spain’s El Pais newspaper, “It is very disappointing to see Israel still participating in the contest.” He added that he hoped the 2026 contest, which will be held in Vienna in May would not include Israel.
