Letting Israel participate in Eurovision 'wrong from the beginning', Spain’s culture minister says

Spain’s Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun has accused Eurovision organisers of utilizing civilization to “whitewash” the warfare successful Gaza, sharply criticizing the European Broadcasting Union’s determination to let Israel to enactment successful the contest.

“The determination I would criticise, which I deliberation is wrong, is the determination of the EBU committee to let Israel to participate,” Urtasun said successful an interrogation with Euronews flagship programme Europe Today. “This is what is incorrect from the beginning.”

The curate rejected the thought that the euphony itself was causing part astir this year’s contest, arguing alternatively that contention stemmed from Israel’s inclusion amid the ongoing warfare successful Gaza.

“It’s not euphony that is dividing people,” Urtasun said. “Music is simply a infinitesimal of celebration. Eurovision has ever been a infinitesimal of celebration.”

But helium said taste events involving nationalist practice could not disregard planetary conflicts and accusations surrounding Israel’s subject run successful Gaza.

“When you person a contention wherever countries are represented, and you person some Russia and Israel with the existent probe by the ICC, you cannot crook a unsighted oculus to that,” helium said.

“And erstwhile you let Israel to participate, you’re really utilizing civilization to whitewash what is going connected there.”

"Not up to us" to archer different countries to participate

Spain has emerged arsenic 1 of the strongest critics of Israel’s information successful planetary taste events. Madrid has antecedently backed efforts to suspend Israel from competitions and exhibitions, drafting parallels with Russia’s exclusion pursuing the full-scale penetration of Ukraine.

Urtasun stressed that Spain’s disapproval was directed astatine Eurovision organisers alternatively than countries choosing to stay successful the competition.

“It’s not up to maine to accidental whether a state is close oregon incorrect successful participating,” helium said. “We person decided not to.”

He added that Spain’s determination has wide nationalist enactment contempt Eurovision’s popularity successful the country.

“People successful Spain are precise arrogant that our broadcaster decided not to participate,” helium said. “It’s with pain, due to the fact that radical emotion Eurovision successful Spain. It’s massively followed each year.”

“But I deliberation the immense bulk of Spaniards cull war, cull genocide, and are outraged by what is going connected successful Gaza.”

EBU "applying treble standards" implicit Israel

The comments travel arsenic unit mounts connected the EBU implicit Israel’s inclusion successful Eurovision, with protests, broadcaster disapproval and governmental backlash overshadowing this year’s contest. Public broadcasters from Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland person either threatened to boycott oregon withdrawn from Eurovision implicit Israel’s participation.

During Tuesday’s semi-final successful Vienna, Israel’s contestant Noam Bettan was met with audible boos and pro-Palestinian chants from sections of the audience, portion respective protesters were removed from the venue.

The quality has exposed heavy divisions wrong Eurovision and raised broader questions astir the contest’s assertion of governmental neutrality. Critics person pointed to Russia’s exclusion pursuing the country's penetration successful Ukraine, arguing that Israel should look akin attraction implicit the warfare successful Gaza.

The EBU has defended Israel’s participation, insisting Eurovision is simply a contention betwixt broadcasters alternatively than governments. But mounting disapproval from artists, broadcasters and European politicians has turned the 2026 contention into 1 of the astir politically charged editions successful the event’s history.

Urtasun indicated Spain would beryllium consenting to instrumentality to Eurovision nether antithetic circumstances.

“We are a state that loves to instrumentality portion successful Eurovision,” helium said. “But we volition lone instrumentality that determination if a taste lawsuit similar that 1 volition not beryllium utilized to whitewash thing precise dangerous.”