The EBU Will Not Fine Spain for Pro-Palestine Message During Eurovision Final

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) will not sanction Spain for the pro-Palestine message that RTVE broadcast just before the official start of the Eurovision final. "In the face of human rights, silence is not an option. Peace and justice for Palestine," was displayed moments before the 69th edition of one of the most controversial festivals began, not only due to the participation of Israel but also for its second place thanks to the televote.

Specifically, RTVE, responsible for broadcasting the festival in Spain, aired this announcement following the threat that the EBU had made to the Spanish delegation in case the comments made by the Spanish presenters during the explanation of the song with which the Hebrew country attended the contest were repeated during the final. Tony Aguilar and Julia Varela recalled during the second semi-final of the contest, not in the final, the invasion of Israel over Gaza, attacks that have already claimed more than 50,000 civilian lives. A message that did not please the delegation, which requested the organization to sanction Spain, a member of the so-called Big Five.

However, despite the threat and subsequent response from RTVE during the final broadcast in Basel, the EBU will not sanction the public corporation. "RTVE is responsible for any content broadcast outside the Eurovision Song Contest transmission," indicated sources from the organizing body of the contest.

Nevertheless, this year's Eurodrama, which once again transcends music and delves into politics, has not stopped there. Spain, along with Belgium and Iceland, has asked the organization for transparency regarding the Eurovision televote, after Israel was the most supported country by the public, including the Spanish, securing 297 televote points on a night when Melody finished third from last, receiving only ten points from the public and 27 from the jury.

The fact is that the president of RTVE sent a letter in April to the body responsible for organizing the festival, requesting a deep debate among all countries about Israel's participation in the European contest, questioned due to the war in Gaza. It is worth remembering that, unlike Israel, the EBU decided to expel Russia from the festival when the war in Ukraine began.