Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said Spain's boycott of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest over Israel’s participation puts the country "on the right side of history".
In a video message posted on X ahead of Saturday’s Grand Final in Vienna, Sánchez said Spain could not remain silent over the war in Gaza.
"In the face of illegal war and also genocide, silence is not an option," he said.
"And we cannot remain indifferent to what continues to happen in Gaza and in Lebanon.
"This year, therefore, will indeed be different. We will not be in Vienna, but we will do so with the conviction that we are on the right side of history."
Spain is one of five countries not taking part in this year's Eurovision Song Contest over Israel’s participation, alongside Ireland, Iceland, the Netherlands and Slovenia.
RTÉ is not participating in or broadcasting this year’s contest after the European Broadcasting Union confirmed that Israeli broadcaster Kan would be allowed to compete.
In a statement issued in December, RTÉ said Ireland’s participation remained "unconscionable" given the loss of life and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The broadcaster also cited concern over the killing of journalists in Gaza during the conflict and the continued denial of access to international journalists.
Spain is one of Eurovision’s so-called "Big Five" countries, the largest financial contributors to the contest, whose entries usually qualify automatically for the Grand Final.
Sánchez drew a comparison between Israel’s participation and Russia’s exclusion from Eurovision following its invasion of Ukraine.
"When Russia invaded Ukraine, it was excluded from the contest and Spain supported that decision," he said.
"Those principles must also be applied when we talk about Israel. There cannot be double standards."
The European Broadcasting Union has said Israeli public broadcaster KAN is eligible to participate because it is a member of the organisation.
Eurovision Song Contest director Martin Green told RTÉ Arts and Media Correspondent Evelyn O'Rourke this week that the EBU’s position was that KAN was not responsible for the actions of the Israeli government.
The war in Gaza began after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023.
The 70th Eurovision Song Contest is being staged at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, with the Grand Final taking place on Saturday night.
Source: AFP
