🇪🇸 Spain: Minister for Culture Calls For Spain to Withdraw from Eurovision If Israel Participates

Ernest Urtasun, the Minister for Culture in Spain, has stated that Spain should withdraw from Eurovision 2026 if Israel participates.

During an interview on La hora de La 1, Urtasun stated that Spain should withdraw from Eurovision if Israel is not excluded from the contest.

“I don’t think we can normalise Israel’s participation in international events as if nothing is happening. Events like Eurovision or the Vuelta a España brings a certain representation of a country. In Eurovision’s case, it is not an individual artist who participates but someone who participates on behalf of that country’s citizens.”

Urtasun’s comments about the Vuelta a España come after several protests during the current edition of the race. The 11th stage of the race ended prematurely due to these protests, mainly against the cycling team Israel-Premier Tech.

Urtasun clarified that this decision is up to RTVE to take. RTVE previously raised concerns about Israel’s participation in Eurovision following the 2025 contest.

At the time of writing, Spain is due to participate in Eurovision 2026. The application window for Benidorm Fest 2026 is currently open and will close on September 24 at 23:59 CEST.

Image source: Sarah Louise Bennett/EBU | Source: El Mundo

Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest

Spain debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1961 and has competed annually since, making them the longest participating country that has never withdrawn. Spain has won the contest on two occasions. The first time was in 1968, when Massiel sang “La la la”. and the second time was in 1969, when Salomé sang “Vivo cantando”. 1969 is the only year where more than one song has won the contest. The 1969 contest saw a four-way tie between Spain, France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

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