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After weeks of uncertainty and political debate, RTVE communicated this Thursday its definitive position on Spain's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The appearance of the President of the Corporation, José Pablo López, before the Joint Parliamentary Control Commission, has put an end to the doubt that kept followers and artists of the Benidorm Fest in suspense and that is that if Israel goes to Eurovision, Spain will not participate in Eurovision.
After days of debate, López has indicated that “RTVE's position has not been altered”. “First of all, because of the genocide that has been perpetrated in Gaza,” explained the President. “The Eurovision Song Contest is a contest, but human rights are not a contest,” the president of the Corporation added bluntly.
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“There is another issue, the systematic non-compliance with the rules of the contest. It has never been sanctioned. Any other country that had carried out this use of Eurovision would be sanctioned and expelled,” López added.
WECB
WECB
López has revealed that he has received a letter from the general director of the EBU, Noel Currentin which, “thanks to pressure from RTVE, a series of measures will be adopted to protect the Festival.”
Nevertheless, These changes are not enough: “From here I state that they are not sufficient nor do they guarantee the interference of the Government of Israel or any other government. For them the contest is more than a contest and has a very important political derivative.”
What is the controversy of Israel
The controversy arose as a result of Israel's presence in the contest, amid international complaints about the offensive in Gaza. In September, the RTVE Board of Directors approved by an absolute majority that Spain would not participate in Eurovision 2026 if Israel remained in the competition, becoming the first member of the Big Five to adopt such a drastic stance. This decision opened an intense debate about the politicization of the festival and the role of public television in international conflicts.
For its part, the EBU has confirmed that Israel will continue in Eurovisionruling out putting his participation to a vote. However, to calm criticism, it has introduced changes to the voting system: reduction of public votes, return of the professional jury in the semi-finals and measures against coordinated campaigns. However, these modifications have not stopped political pressure since more than 50 MEPs from 15 countries have called for the expulsion of Israel, claiming that his presence represents a “whitening” in the midst of war crimes investigations.
It should be noted that Eurovision maintains the argument that the festival is an apolitical event. Eurovision was born to unite Europe through music, but the next edition has become a scene of diplomatic tensions. Furthermore, the Russia's veto in the wake of the conflict with Ukraine It also calls into question the organization's double standards, according to those who defend Israel's veto.
