RTVE, the Spanish national broadcaster, has reiterated that nothing has changed regarding its stance regarding Israel’s participation at Eurovision 2026.
RTVE’s President Mr. Jose Pablo Lopez has reaffirmed RTVE’s decision to withdraw from the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna if Israel is allowed to compete in the contest:
RTVE’s position remains unchanged: We have maintained the same position for months, which is that Israel’s presence is untenable. We are talking about a genocide in Gaza, and that Eurovision is a contest, but human rights are not a contest.
RTVE deems that the EBU’s changes and new rules for the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest 2026 are not sufficient, and that more measures are required.
Comparecencia del presidente de RTVE, José Pablo López. Esta tarde en el Senado ha fijado la posición de España en Eurovisión. pic.twitter.com/vjcGLBXhXd
— RTVE Comunicación y Participación (@RTVE_Com) November 27, 2025
Next week the EBU members will convene at the EBU’s General Assembly in Geneva and discuss the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest 2026, the implementation of the new set of rules and Israel’s participation at ESC 2026 in Vienna.
Several countries have threatened to withdraw from the contest next year if Israel is not excluded from the competition, due to the geopolitical scenario in the Middle East and the war in Gaza : Iceland, Slovenia, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The official list of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 competing countries will be released by the EBU before Christmas.
