The addition of one of the big five to the boycott raises the stakes for the contest. The inclusion of Spain will likely increase the legitimacy of the protest and put pressure on countries to declare their position. He saidIt's precisely because Eurovision was born on the ruins of war that it should not become a scene of exclusion. Governments recognise the contest's utility as a form of diplomacy, and the countries that are participating in the Eurovision boycott have all strongly criticised Israel's actions in Gaza. Israel's participation in international cultural events such as Eurovision is an effort at cultural diplomacy.