Spanish PM calls for Israel’s ban from Eurovision, despite Raphael’s popularity in his country

Sanchez argued that Russia has been barred from competing in Eurovision since the country’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and that allowing Israel to compete despite the ongoing war in Gaza is giving in to “double standards.”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for Israel to be banned from competing in Eurovision and other cultural events, although Israel’s contestant, Yuval Raphael, garnered the maximum of 12 votes from Spanish viewers during the contest.

Sanchez argued that Russia has been barred from competing in Eurovision since the country’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and that allowing Israel to compete despite the ongoing war in Gaza is giving in to “double standards.”

He said that as long as there was “the injustice of war and bombardment” in Gaza, Israel should be excluded from Eurovision and similar global cultural events.

Sanchez, a socialist leader, has long criticized Israel’s policies and argued, “No one was shocked when Russia was asked to withdraw from international competitions after it invaded Ukraine. Therefore, Israel should not participate either.”

The prime minister’s remarks followed Nova festival survivor Yuval Raphael’s second-place finish for Israel behind JJ of Austria overall and first-place results in the televote.

Israel secured the maximum number of votes from Spanish viewers — 12 — despite Sanchez’s belief that the Jewish state should have been barred from the competition.

Israeli Minister for Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli ridiculed Sánchez in a social media post that described Raphael’s popularity among Spanish viewers as a “slap in the face” for Sánchez, “which we have heard here in Jerusalem.”

Although Eurovision rules require political neutrality, Spanish public broadcaster RTVE aired a pro-Palestinian message before the finals. Previously, RTVE also argued that Israel should be barred from competing in the Eurovision.

Spain, along with Norway and Ireland, formally recognized a Palestinian State, and Sanchez has submitted a proposal to the United Nations General Assembly urging the International Court of Justice to monitor Israel’s compliance with expectations to send humanitarian aid to Gaza during the war.

At an Arab League summit in Baghdad, Sanchez urged global pressure to end the “massacre in Gaza” and offered “a supportive embrace for the people of Ukraine and the people of Palestine who are experiencing the injustice of war and bombardment.”