The board of Spanish public broadcaster RTVE voted on Tuesday to withdraw from the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, which will be held in Vienna in May, if Israel participates, Reuters reports.

Spain became the fifth country to make such a statement after the Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland, and Ireland, and the first of the so-called “Big Five” — a group that also includes the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and France.

These countries automatically qualify for the final round of the contest. The measure, proposed by RTVE President José Pablo López, received 10 votes in favor and four against. One other person on the 15-member board abstained, according to a statement from the broadcaster.

Eurovision, which consistently emphasizes its political neutrality, has faced controversy this year over the war in Gaza. Several countries called on the European Broadcasting Union, an alliance of public broadcasters that organizes and co-produces the annual event, to exclude Israel from the 2025 contest.

Israeli contestant Yuval Raphael ultimately finished second. Austrian singer JJ, who won this year, also called for Israel to be excluded from the program in 2026.