Spain’s public broadcaster is set to officially begin the process of withdrawing from the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.
The president of RTVE, Jose Pablo Lopez, will propose on Tuesday that Spain withdraw from next year’s edition if Israel is allowed to take part.
The plan will be presented to the broadcaster’s Board of Directors, according to TVE’s Directo al Grano programme.
If approved, Spain would become the fifth country to confirm its withdrawal from the contest in protest at Israel’s participation, following similar announcements by the Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland and Ireland.
The move adds to mounting political and cultural pressure on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises Eurovision.
It comes after Israel’s foreign minister accused the Spanish PM of being an anti-Semite.
Gideon Saar made the comment on Monday after Pedro Sanchez reiterated his call to exclude Israeli teams from international sporting competitions, just as Russia was banned after its invasion of Ukraine.
In a post published on social media in both English and Spanish, Saar wrote: ‘Antisemite and liar. Did Israel invade Gaza on October 7, or was it the terrorist state of Hamas that invaded Israel and committed the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust?
‘Sanchez and his communist government are antisemites and enemies of the truth.’
A growing diplomatic rift
The remarks mark an escalation in already tense relations between Madrid and Tel Aviv.
Sanchez has become one of Europe’s most vocal critics of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and has repeatedly urged EU institutions and international bodies to sanction the country.
In May, the Spanish leader publicly called for Israel to be excluded from the Eurovision Song Contest, drawing a direct comparison with Russia’s suspension from international competitions following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
More recently, his government has argued that Israeli sports teams should face similar bans until the conflict ends.
