RTVE has once again turned the start of Eurovision into a political gesture. This Saturday, coinciding with the start time of the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, the public broadcaster broadcast a message in support of Palestine and in defense of human rights, amidst the controversy over Israel's participation in the contest.
The message, broadcast in Spanish and English with white letters on a black background, revives a sober and direct formula: “Eurovision is a contest, but human rights are not. There is no room for indifference. Peace and justice for Gaza,” according to the version reported by RTVE. Other media report the formula “Peace and Justice for Palestine”.
The gesture comes in a particularly controversial edition: RTVE is not participating in Eurovision 2026 nor broadcasting the final, an unprecedented decision since 1961 and taken after the European Broadcasting Union's decision to allow Israel's participation.
RTVE repeats the 2025 gesture before the final
This Saturday's message is reminiscent of the one RTVE already launched before the final of Eurovision 2025 in Basel. At that time, La 1 broadcast a silent video, also with a black background and white letters, with the slogan: “Faced with human rights, silence is not an option. Peace and justice for Palestine”.
The difference is that this year the gesture has more political weight because Spain is no longer in the contest. RTVE has not only sent a critical message, but has also withdrawn Spain from the competition and renounced broadcasting the final on free-to-air television due to Israel's presence.
The text chosen by the public broadcaster goes directly to the heart of the debate: Eurovision may present itself as a music festival, but RTVE maintains that the situation in Gaza prevents Israel's participation from being treated as a purely artistic matter.
Spain is not participating or broadcasting Eurovision 2026
The Spanish withdrawal occurred after the EBU accepted Israel's participation in Eurovision 2026. RTVE had already warned before that decision that, if Israel participated, Spain would not attend the festival or broadcast the contest.
Spain has not been the only country to step aside. Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Iceland also announced their withdrawal or refusal to participate in the 2026 edition due to Israel's presence, according to RTVE.
Spain's absence has clear symbolic weight. RTVE had been part of the festival for decades, and its withdrawal breaks a historical continuity in one of Europe's major television events.
What RTVE broadcast instead of Eurovision
RTVE did not broadcast the final of the festival and scheduled the special La casa de la música, with national artists, in its place. The public channel thus avoided retransmitting the contest while maintaining an alternative program on the night traditionally reserved for Eurovision.
The move has a double interpretation. On the one hand, RTVE distances itself from the organization of the festival. On the other hand, it tries to occupy the night with its own musical content so as not to leave the gap empty in a prime-time slot.