Rotterdam - Saba:
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has asserted that Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest demonstrates double standards on the part of the organizers, who suspended Russia's participation due to the conflict in Ukraine.
According to the Russian news agency Novosti, Sanchez said on Monday: "Israel, like Russia, should not participate because double standards in culture cannot be allowed."
These statements came after Israel's representative, Yuval Rapoport, came in second place in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, receiving the most viewers' votes from 13 countries, including Spain, which awarded her a maximum of 12 points, sparking criticism among politicians on the left of the political spectrum.
The Spanish broadcaster RTVE has already sent a request to the European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the contest, demanding a review of the voting system.
According to representatives of the left-wing Podemos party, the high scores in the television vote were the result of an organized campaign by the far right and the Israeli government.
Separately, the far-right Vox party criticized RTVE's management for reminding commentators and the channel's management during the contest broadcast of the more than 50,000 civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip.
The party's spokesperson demanded Fox News' José Antonio Fuster immediately dismissed RTVE President José Pablo López for violating the principle of political neutrality.
In addition to Spain, the Belgian Broadcasting Corporation expressed its support for Palestine and boycotted the broadcast of the Israeli contestant's performance.
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