"The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the organiser of Eurovision, is set to decide whether Israel will take part in the 2026 edition at its general assembly in December. If EBU members decide to keep Israeli public broadcaster KAN as a participant, "RTVE would have to carry out the threat of withdrawing from the contest for the first time in history", the Spanish broadcaster said in a statement."
"The decision comes a day after Spanish Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun said Spain should boycott the event if Israel takes part due to its devastating military offensive in Gaza. Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in May after the last edition of Eurovision that Israel should be excluded because of its military campaign in Gaza, just as Russia has been left out since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine."
RTVE, Spain's public broadcaster, said it will boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if Israel participates, pending a vote by the European Broadcasting Union in December. RTVE said it would withdraw if Israeli public broadcaster KAN remains a participant. Spanish ministers and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez have backed excluding Israel, citing its military offensive in Gaza and concerns about double standards compared to Russia's exclusion. Protesters in Madrid disrupted the Vuelta a Espana over the participation of an Israeli cycling team, prompting calls to bar Israel from international sport. Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland and the Netherlands have also threatened to withdraw.
Read at www.thelocal.es
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