Overview
- RTVE confirmed Spain will skip the Vienna contest after the EBU assembly ratified Israel’s entry.
- Broadcasters in the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia also said they will not take part in protest.
- The withdrawal ends Spain’s uninterrupted participation since 1961 and its automatic final qualification as a Big Five member.
- Israeli singer and 1998 winner Dana International condemned the decision as “violent and insulting” and urged Israel to field a cheerful, unifying pop act.
- Parts of Spain’s eurofan community and several former representatives backed the move as a human-rights stance, while others criticized turning Eurovision into a political battleground.