Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has asked for Israel to be banned from the Eurovision Song Contest because of its military actions in Gaza. He pointed out that Russia was banned from Eurovision in 2022 after invading Ukraine, and said the same rule should apply to Israel.
Sánchez said during a press conference in Madrid: “Nobody was up in arms when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began three years ago and [Russia] had to leave international competitions and could not take part, as we have just seen, in Eurovision. Therefore, Israel shouldn’t either, because what we cannot allow is double standards in culture.”
Israel came second in the Eurovision final held in Switzerland and won the public vote. Spanish viewers gave Israel the highest score of 12 points. This result led Israeli Minister for Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli to mock Sánchez on social media, calling the vote a “slap in the face” for the Spanish Prime Minister, which they “heard in Jerusalem.”
Consistent Cultural Standards Across Europe
BBC News has contacted the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises Eurovision, for a response.
Sánchez also showed his support for Palestinians, saying, “Spain’s commitment to international law and human rights must be constant and must be coherent. Europe should be too.” Last year, Spain officially recognised the state of Palestine. The Prime Minister has been a strong critic of Israel and recently called it a “genocidal state” in Congress.
Israel has rejected any claims of genocide and summoned Spain’s ambassador over Sánchez’s remarks. Despite warnings from the EBU to avoid political messages, Spain’s broadcaster RTVE showed a message supporting Palestinians before the Eurovision final. RTVE has also asked for an audit of the votes after Spain awarded 12 points to Israel. Spain’s own entry, “Esa Diva” by Melody, finished 24th.
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