Urtasun is already opening the door to Spain not participating in Eurovision if Israel isn't expelled: "Measures will have to be taken."

Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun has opened the door to Spain withdrawing from the Eurovision Song Contest if the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) decides not to expel Israel, a point already addressed by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez last May. The Culture Minister asserted that "this is a decision that corresponds to TVE," but that "measures will have to be taken," such as withdrawing from participation if the country led by Benjamin Netanyahu continues to be able to field candidates.

"I don't think we can normalize Israel's participation in international forums as if nothing were happening," Urtasun added in an interview on La Hora de La 1 , where he asserted that events like Eurovision and the Vuelta a Espana represent "a certain representation of the country" and that in the case of the song festival, it's not just "an individual artist" who participates, but rather on behalf of all citizens. "It can't be," Urtasun concluded.

These statements come at a time when the Prime Minister has just announced that Spain will strengthen its arms embargo on Israel through legislation and will also implement a ban on the passage of planes and ships carrying war material, although without completely severing relations. Furthermore, Pedro Sánchez himself, at an event last May with representatives of the Culture Ministry, had already demanded Israel's expulsion from the song festival , echoing the approach applied to Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.

"The commitment to human rights must be constant," the Prime Minister stated at the presentation of the Cotec Foundation report on the cultural industry. At the time, Sánchez emphasized that "no one threw up their hands" when sanctions were applied to Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, including its expulsion from Eurovision. He also emphasized that the same must apply to Israel because " double standards in culture cannot be allowed ."

Last Thursday, Slovenia became the first country to announce it would not participate in Eurovision if Israel remained among the candidates. RTVSLO, the country's public broadcaster, has emphasized that this decision "will depend on the actions of the EBU" and that it will make a final decision in a few months, once the EBU has issued a statement on the retaliation it will take against the country. According to the country's press, its public broadcaster already expressed its position at the EBU General Assembly, held in early July in London.

Although the Spanish government, with Urtasun's statements, has already indicated what position it should adopt, this is the responsibility of RTVE. Public television was already particularly belligerent during the last festival regarding Israel's participation. The EBU had threatened to sanction Spain after Tony Aguilar and Julia Valera, the festival's presenters, mentioned the deaths in Gaza during Israel's presentation in the second semi-final. The public television's response was forceful: a banner before the program began, attacking the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip .

" In the face of human rights, silence is not an option. Peace and Justice for Palestine ," read a banner on a black background on the screen. And, just minutes later, the president of the corporation, José Pablo López, reinforced that position with a tweet that echoed part of that message: "Silence is not an option."