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The
Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia had already taken the same
stance. Spain's addition to the list puts more pressure on both
Israel and the European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the
popular contest.
Spanish public broadcaster RTVE made the decision at a board
meeting in Madrid.
The announcement comes as diplomatic ties between Spain and
Israel frayed after large protests against the presence of a
Israeli-owned cycling team disrupted the Spanish Vuelta race.
Spain's prime minister said Monday that he would like Israel to
be banned from sporting events.
The European Broadcasting Union said last week that it was
consulting its members on how to “manage participation and
geopolitical tensions” around the song contest and would give
them until mid-December to decide if they want to participate.
Russia was banned from Eurovision after its full-scale invasion
of Ukraine in 2022, but Israel has continued to compete the past
two years despite disputes over its participation.
Eurovision’s finale is scheduled to be held in Vienna in May.
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