Following the announcements from Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Iceland, Spain became the first country on Wednesday from the “big five”, that is, the five largest funding countries in the song competition, which officially announced its decision to be announced by 12 Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Italy belong to the “Great Five”.
The withdrawal was approved by the RTVE Spanish Public Television Board with 10 votes in favor, 4 against 1 abstinence. The vote followed the statement by Spanish Minister of Culture, Ernest, last week that Spain should be withdrawn from the event if Israel remains on the list of countries involved.
The Dutch public broadcasting body Avrotros also said that it could no longer justify Israel’s participation, given the ongoing humanitarian disaster in Gaza “.
The decision on whether Israel will participate in the song contest is expected in December.
Where does Israel’s participation in Eurovision come about?
Israel made its Eurovision debut in 1973. And it is not the only non-European country that participates: Armenia and Azerbaijan are also involved in the event, and since 2015 Australia is the most “exotic” contestant.
With four firsts in its history, Israel is considered one of the most “successful” participating countries. But the Israel-Palestinian conflict has influenced the competition several times in the last five decades.
In 1973 Ilanit was the first Eurovision contestant from Israel. A few months earlier Palestinian terrorists had killed 11 Israeli athletes in the Olympic village of Munich. It is said that Ilanite was wearing a bulletproof vest and the public had to stay sitting throughout her appearance.
In 2024 the contestant Israeli Eden Galan also had special protection. Many countries had requested that Israel be excluded. The event examined it, but not because of the war in Gaza itself: there was a fear that the original title of the song, “October Rain” was a clear reference to the fact that triggered the war: Hamas’ terrorist attack on October 7th.
Since the lyrics of the song changed, Golan’s participation was allowed at Eurovision. As in Malmme in 2024, this year in Basel, spectators strongly protested against Israeli participation, disapproving with whistles.
OR Austriathe country that will host Eurovision in 2026, regret that European countries are calling for boycott if Israel participates in the competition.
“Cultural boycott is stupid and in vain, they do not help us go ahead,” Deputy Foreign Minister and European Affairs SEP Seplhorn in the Austrian Kurier newspaper last night said.
THE German Minister of CultureHe today criticized calls for European countries for a boycott of Eurovision’s next song contest, as he participates in Israel.
“Eurovision was founded to bring nations close to music. Excluding Israel today means that we are going against this fundamental idea and that we are turning into a court a celebration between the peoples, “Volfram Weimer said in a statement, following the example of Austria, the country where the country would be held by the country, where the country will be held. boycott.
“Eurovision is based on the principle that artists are judged for their art and not for their nationality. The culture of cancellation is not the solution – the solution is diversity and cohesion, “the conservative minister added.
“Just because Eurovision was born from the ruins of the war, it should not be an exclusion scene,” he continued.
In fact, Eurovision often becomes the theater of geopolitical controversy. Russia was excluded after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Belarus had been excluded a year earlier after the disputed re -election of President Alexander Lukashenko.
Due to its historical responsibility for the extermination of six million Jews during World War II, Germany is, along with the United States, one of Israel’s largest supporters.
With information: RES,
