Spain's public broadcaster RTVE has officially requested that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) thoroughly review the voting system used in the Eurovision Song Contest, specifically the public phone voting process. This request comes amid ongoing concerns from Spain regarding Israel's participation in the competition.
On May 18, RTVE made an initial verbal request to the EBU, which was later formalized in a written submission, signed by RTVE Director General Jose Pablo Lopez. The broadcaster reiterated its "serious concerns" about Israel's involvement in the Eurovision Song Contest and called for an independent review of the voting system. This letter was addressed to the director-general of the EBU and the managing director of Eurovision, Martin Green.
In its written request, RTVE emphasized the need for changes to the voting format to prevent external interference from countries and to ensure the competition's integrity and transparency. RTVE pointed out "significant concerns" about the transparency, legitimacy and perceived integrity of the voting system, particularly about Israel's participation.
The letter also referenced the EBU's commitment to human rights, stating that, "The inclusion of Israel should be evaluated in light of the values of peace, justice and respect for human rights that the Eurovision Song Contest claims to represent."
Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest has sparked controversy, especially due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. On May 17, Israel's entry in the Eurovision 2025 final, "New Day Will Rise" by Yuval Raphael, performed relatively poorly in the professional jury votes, placing low with only 60 points. However, it received an overwhelming 297 points in the public voting, bringing its total to 357 points, which placed it second overall, just behind Austria, the winner of the contest.
Further scrutiny arose after a report from the EBU revealed that a government-affiliated Israeli organization had run a digital ad campaign to increase votes for Israel's Eurovision representative. Experts speaking to RTVE also criticized the public voting system, pointing out that one person can vote up to 20 times for a single country using just one phone and credit card, making the system vulnerable to manipulation.
Spain has called for Israel’s exclusion from the Eurovision Song Contest since April 2025, citing the ongoing violence in Gaza. RTVE previously sent a letter to the EBU in April, urging the union to initiate a discussion on banning Israel from the competition due to its actions in Gaza. This request was not accepted by the EBU.
During the second semifinal of Eurovision 2025, RTVE broadcast a message through commentators Tony Aguilar and Julia Varela, stating that RTVE had requested a discussion on Israel's participation in Eurovision. They also highlighted the death toll in Gaza, which had surpassed 50,000, with more than 15,000 children among the victims. The message emphasized that this was not a petition against any country, but rather a call for peace, justice and respect for human rights.
The EBU threatened RTVE with penalties if such statements were made publicly during the final, especially those targeting Israel. In response, RTVE shared a message before the live broadcast, reading: "Silence is not an option when it comes to human rights. Peace and justice for Palestine."
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has also supported calls for Israel's exclusion from international events like Eurovision. He compared Israel’s situation to Russia’s exclusion from international competitions following the invasion of Ukraine, stating that no one was surprised when Ukraine called for Russia’s exclusion from these events. Sanchez argued that Israel’s participation should also be questioned, as allowing double standards in culture is unacceptable.
