Israel’s presence in Eurovision. The European Broadcasting Union (UER) has threatened RTVE with “punitive fines” for Spain if you repeat references to the Gaza conflict ,. This has been known to the European agency to Ana María Bordás, head of the Spanish delegation and next president of the reference group of the European contest from next month, in a letter sent this Friday to which this newspaper has had access and confirms the UER. The text is signed by the president of the Eurovision Reference Group, the Swiss Bakel Walden, and by the Swedish Martin Osterdahl, executive supervisor of the contest.
During the second semifinal of Eurovision 2025, the commentators of RTVE Tony Aguilar and Julia Varela took advantage of the presentation of, the representative of Israel, to remember the request that RTVE in the contest. Both commentators also recalled those for the attacks in Gaza, of which more than 15,000 are children, according to the United Nations data mentioned in their speech.
RTVE has officially confirmed this newspaper that the commentators read that message “coordinated with the chain.” And other sources close to the public entity explain that in the issuance of the final tonight “there will be a gesture” regarding this communicative conflict “from the beginning of the broadcast.” They also claim to feel surprise that “asking for respect for human rights and for peace and justice, in a comment that made it clear that it was not aimed at any particular country” supposes a conflict with the UU, while the Eurovision responsible agency “does not consider the fact that the delegation of Israel underlines the condition of its candidate as a victim of Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.
These same sources believe that the Uuer “is managing very badly” the controversy of the presence of Israel in Eurovision, “”, since, in his opinion, the European agency “is trying that there is no criticism and, with, with, this, no glimpse of freedom of expression.”
Like the Spanish, other delegations, such as Slovenia, Iceland and Ireland, around Israel in recent weeks.
The writing is the reaction of the UER to this intervention by Aguilar and Varela. In his text, he urges the Spanish public chain to remember “that all commentators must meet the rules of the festival and the commentator’s manual.” “These guidelines,” says the text in English, “prohibit the political statements that may compromise the neutrality of the contest. The figures of victims have no place in an apolitical entertainment program whose motto, United for Musicembodies our commitment to unity, “continues the message sent to Bordás.
“It is essential that their commentators meet these rules without exception […] to preserve the apolitical character of Eurovision and comply with ethics and standards established in the rules. We expect the full cooperation of RTVE to avoid repeating. Any subsequent breach may lead to punitive fines according to the rules, ”concludes the two executives of the UER.
Sources close to the Spanish public entity confirm that those responsible for the Israeli public broadcaster They presented at noon on Friday a formal complaint to the UER against the intervention of Varela and Aguilar. And that, hours later, the Eurovision officials contacted RTVE to request what can be read in the letter sent in a conversation in which “there was no margin of negotiation.”
Before RTVE, the public television of the Belgian region of Flanders (VRT), which has also supported the request for debate by RTVE, included in the broadcast of the first semifinal on Tuesday a message in support of Palestine, after last year decided to cut Israel’s performance in the final.
One of the three unions representing the Public Public Radio Personal VRT has declared that new measures could be taken against the participation of Israel, without specifying what they would consist of.
During a general trial, Yuval Raphael’s performance was interrupted when six people were evicted by carrying large flags and whistles. The security personnel quickly identified those involved and escorted them out of the room, the public entity of the country.
Blanca Paloma, representative of Spain in Eurovision 2023, has been the first Spanish to sign the letter in which the expulsion of Israel of Eurovision is requested by considering that “as a tool to cover up crimes against humanity” is used. The petition has the support of about 80 artists who have passed through the festival, including those of the Portuguese winner Salvador Sobral.
