Spain’s Eurovision Bombshell: RTVE Board to Decide Israel Showdown on 16 September
Eurovision 2026 might be heading for a scandal bigger than a microphone malfunction in Malmö. Spain is on the brink of becoming the first Big Five country to threaten a dramatic withdrawal from the Contest in Vienna — unless Israel is shown the door.
RTVE’s Board of Directors will meet on Tuesday, 16 September at 09:30 to vote on whether Spain’s participation should be conditional on Israel’s exclusion. Sources inside RTVE say President José Pablo López is ready to push for withdrawal if the EBU keeps Israel in the line-up.
The timing is explosive. Demonstrations during La Vuelta this week reignited debates about Israel’s role in major international events, with protestors calling Eurovision complicit if it allows KAN to remain.
Fifth Country, First Big Five
If Spain joins the boycott threat, it will stand alongside Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland and the Netherlands, who have already tied their participation to Israel’s expulsion. But Spain wouldn’t just be another name on the list. It would be the first Big Five broadcaster — and one of the Contest’s biggest financial backers — to slam down the ultimatum.
César Vallejo and Ana María Bordas have been pressuring the EBU for months to open debate on Israel. Those calls grew louder after Basel 2025, when Yuval Raphael nearly snatched victory for Israel, backed by what critics called “state-sponsored vote manipulation”.
The Political Pressure Cooker
Spanish Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun has publicly urged RTVE to threaten withdrawal, insisting the broadcaster “cannot remain silent while a genocide unfolds in Gaza”. Insiders suggest this pressure has tipped the balance ahead of Tuesday’s crunch meeting.
If the Board votes in favour, Spain will become the first heavyweight to put money and audience share on the line. It’s the kind of move that could embolden more broadcasters — or blow Eurovision politics wide open.
What Next?
The EBU has given broadcasters until mid-December to confirm their participation. If RTVE pulls the trigger, Vienna 2026 could be remembered less for glitter and key changes and more for geopolitical fireworks.
For now, all eyes are on Madrid. Will Spain light the fuse?
