The Spanish prime minister has called on Israel to be banned from the Eurovision Song Contest for his military action in Gaza.
Note Pedro Sanchez Russia has been banned from the 2022 competition. After his invasion of Ukraine and said there should be no “double standards”.
Israel came second in the big final of the Swiss race on Saturday, but headed the public vote – with Spanish viewers giving Israel a maximum of 12 points.
The Israeli Diaspora Minister, Amichi Cickles, ridiculed Sanchez with a social media publication saying that the vote was a “slap in the face” for the Spanish prime minister we have heard here in Jerusalem.
The BBC News has asked the Eurovision EUROPEA EU (EBU) organizers for comment.
Speaking at a press conference in Madrid, Sanchez said: “No one was in a weapon when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began three years ago and (Russia) had to leave international competitions and could not participate, as we just saw in Eurovision.
“Therefore, Israel should neither, because what we cannot resolve is double standards in culture.”
He also expressed solidarity with “Palestine people who experience the injustice of war and bombing.”
“The Spanish commitment to international law and human rights must be constant and must be agreed,” he said. “Europe should be too.”
Sanchez and his government, which officially acknowledge the Palestinian state last year, were raw critics of Israel, and last week in the congress the prime minister cited the country as a “genocidal state”.
Israel has severely denied the accusations of genocide and his foreign ministry called the Spanish ambassador for official reprimand for Sanchez's “serious remarks”.
In Eurovision, the Spanish TV saw the maximum point of the Israel country award for its song the new day will rise from Juvel Rafael. Spain's broadcasting network RTVE has since asked for an audit of the votes.
Prior to the Eurovision final on Saturday, RTVE broadcast a message in support of the Palestinians – although he was warned to avoid references to Gaza from EBU.
The entry of Spain, Esa Diva from Melody, finished 24th on Saturday night in Basel.