Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has joined calls for the exclusion of Israel from Eurovision. It comes amid the ongoing controversy between Spain’s broadcaster RTVE and the EBU.
Prime Minister says Israeli inclusion “double standard”
Speaking during a speech on Monday (May 19th), Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez said Israel should not be included in Eurovision following its recent military offensive in Gaza. Addressing colleagues during the press conference in Madrid, Sánchez said:
Nobody was up in arms when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began three years ago and they 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.
Spain’s commitment to international law and human rights must be constant and must be coherent. Europe’s should be too.
The remarks were met with derision from Israel’s minister for diaspora affairs Amichai Chikli, who opted to celebrate Yuval Raphael’s second-place finish in Basel on Saturday (May 17th). In a tweet posted onto his social media, Chikli wrote:
Sánchez, it seems that the Spanish people have spoken and we have heard the slap here in Jerusalem.
Spanish broadcaster calls for transparency
RTVE is one of several broadcasters who have appealed to the EBU for full transparency regarding the results of this year’s Contest. Following Austria’s win, broadcasters raised concerns regarding Israel’s dominance in the televote, citing large-scale campaigns to potentially manipulate the vote. KAN – and the Israeli government – have denied this.
The broadcaster has been embroiled in controversy with the EBU following comments made by commentators Tony Aguilar and Julia Varela during the second semi-final. Whilst introducing the Israeli entry, Tony and Julia appealed for peace in the region, citing the deaths of over 50,000 Palestinians. The EBU responded that it would impose “punitive fines” on RTVE, saying the statement threatened to bring the Contest into disrepute. Seconds before the broadcast of the final, RTVE aired a black screen with a statement that read: “When human rights are at stake, silence is not an option. Peace and Justice for Palestine.”
Audit demanded by RTVE
Following the results, RTVE has now called on the EBU to provide an audit of its televote results. This came following the public’s decision to award 12 points to Israel despite growing opposition. Previous data shared with Spanish newspaper El País found that between the first semi-final and the final, there had been a major increase in the number of votes cast. However, the data was provided from the data processing company commanded by the EBU – held in Germany. RTVE is now demanding a full and transparent audit of the results.
Meanwhile, RTVE requested an open debate on the televote system in the hopes changes can be made to make the voting watertight. A number of other broadcasters have also joined in these calls, including those in Slovenia, Iceland, and Ireland. The EBU said it is committed to a “wider discussion” surrounding Israeli participation in the Contest.
Spain’s Eurovision journey
Spain debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1961 with Conchita Bautista’s “Estando Contigo”. The country earned its first win in 1968 with Massiel’s “La La La”, and won again in 1969 with Salome’s “Vivo Cantando” in an infamous four-way tie. Although they have yet to win again, Spain earned several 2nd place finishes, most famously with Mocedades’ “Eres tu” in 1973 and Anabel Conde’s “Vuelve conmigo” in 1996.
In 2025, Spain selected Melody. As part of the Big 5, she did not need to qualify to the Grand Final from the semi-finals. At the close of voting, her song “Esa Diva” finished 24th, with a total of 37 points. Of these, 27 points came from the jury, whilst 10 came from the televote.
What do you make of the comments from the Spanish Prime Minister? Will RTVE be able to get a full audit? As always, please let us know what you think by getting involved in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads, tumblr, and Bluesky for more information about Eurovision 2026!
News Source: La Vanguardia / El País / Electromania / RTVE
Photo Credit: RTVE
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