MADRID, Spain — Spain’s public broadcaster said on Friday it has called for a “debate” over Israel’s participation in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland due to “concerns” over the situation in war-torn Gaza.
RTVE has sent a letter to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which manages the event, “requesting a debate on the participation of Israeli public television (KAN)” in the contest, the Spanish public broadcaster said in a statement.
The Swiss city of Basel will host the glitzy annual extravaganza — one of the world’s biggest live television events, which involves countries from Europe to Australia — at the St. Jakobshalle indoor arena, with the semi-finals on May 13 and 15, and the final on May 17.
Public broadcasters of participating nations select the candidate which will represent them, so the absence of Kan would mean there is no Israeli performer at this year’s event.
RTVE said it “reiterates its support” for Eurovision “but also acknowledges the concerns that the situation in Gaza and the participation of KAN public television are raising within Spanish civil society.”
“It would be appropriate for the EBU to recognize the existence of this debate and provide a forum for discussion between EBU member broadcasters on the participation of Israeli public television,” the statement added.
Spain has been one of the most anti-Israel countries in Europe since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack against Israel that sparked the war, recognizing a Palestinian state in a move Israel says is a reward for terrorism.
Thousands protested at last year’s contest in the Swedish city of Malmo against Israel’s participation against the backdrop of the war between Israel and the Hamas terror group in Gaza.
Israeli competitor Eden Golan had to change her lyrics over apparent references to the deadly Hamas assault.
A survivor of the attack will represent Israel in Basel this year.
When terrorists killed more than 370 people at the Nova music festival, Yuval Raphael survived by hiding under a pile of bodies. She said she would be ready to face the kind of hostility Golan did.
Finland’s public broadcaster Yle received two petitions last month demanding it push for Israel to be banned from the contest due to the war in Gaza.
One was signed by more than 500 music and culture industry professionals, while a public petition was signed by over 10,000 people.
Israel has won the contest four times, most recently in Lisbon in 2018.
The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when more than 5,000 Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.
Fifty-eight of those hostages — 24 of whom are believed to be alive, and 34 confirmed dead — are still held by terror groups in the Strip. Hamas is also holding the body of an Israeli soldier killed in 2014.