At a recent press conference in Madrid, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez took a strong stance against Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, following its military operations in Gaza. He highlighted a perceived inconsistency in the treatment of nations in international events, referencing Russia's exclusion from Eurovision since 2022 due to the invasion of Ukraine. Sánchez stated, “There should not be double standards” in cultural participation and called for solidarity with Palestinians experiencing hardship due to the ongoing conflict.
Israel's entry, performed by Yuval Raphael and titled "New Day Will Rise," secured second place at the recent contest held in Switzerland, even topping the public voting, primarily thanks to Spanish viewers who awarded it the maximum points. In a response to Sánchez’s comments, Israel's Minister for Diaspora Affairs, Amichai Chikli, dismissed the Prime Minister’s position on social media, claiming the voting results served as a “slap in the face” to Sánchez.
Sánchez has previously criticized Israel, labeling it a "genocidal state," a statement that has drawn ire from Israeli officials, prompting them to summon the Spanish ambassador for a formal reprimand. In light of the recent tensions, Spain's national broadcaster RTVE requested an audit of Eurovision voting, raising concerns over potential biases. The network had also aired pro-Palestinian messages prior to the event, despite warnings from the European Broadcasting Union to refrain from discussing Gaza.
While Spain’s entry, “Esa Diva” by Melody, performed poorly, finishing at 24th place, the political aftermath of Israel’s participation has stirred considerable debate within and outside of Spain. Sánchez emphasized that Europe must uphold commitments to international law and human rights, asserting that Spain's policies should reflect these principles consistently.
