The growing international backlash against Israel over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is now spilling into cultural and sporting arenas across Europe.

From cycling to basketball courts and even entertainment stages, calls for Israel’s exclusion from international events are intensifying, drawing comparisons with Russia’s isolation after its invasion of Ukraine.

A major cycling race in Spain was disrupted when pro-Palestinian protesters targeted an Israeli team.

In Poland, spectators booed the Israeli national anthem before a basketball game. Several European countries have gone further, warning they may boycott major cultural events if Israel participates.

Unlike Russia—which was swiftly sanctioned, condemned, and banned from global competitions by bodies such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and FIFA—Israel has not faced similar suspensions. So far, only the small international Muay Thai federation has barred Israeli participation under its flag. Broader sports institutions have resisted such moves.

But momentum against Israel is building. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez this week backed the demonstrators at the disrupted Vuelta cycling race, urging a boycott of Israel in international sports until what he called the “barbarity” in Gaza ends.

His stance was soon echoed in the cultural sector: Spain’s public broadcaster joined three other European countries threatening to pull out of next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is allowed to compete. Eurovision remains one of Israel’s most popular stages internationally.

In the film world, dozens of Hollywood actors, filmmakers, and industry professionals recently pledged to boycott Israeli film institutions, including festivals, broadcasters, and production houses.

Sánchez posed a pointed question: if Russia could be banned, why not Israel?

The IOC responded by drawing a distinction. Christophe Dubi, the committee’s executive director for the Olympic Games, said in Milan that “this is different,” noting that Russia breached the Olympic Charter by annexing Ukrainian territory—grounds that do not apply to Israel.

FIFA has likewise declined to suspend Israel and refused to comment on its policy while two committees continue reviewing long-standing complaints filed by the Palestinian soccer federation.

Despite the growing protests and boycotts, European soccer bodies and clubs have not refused to play against Israeli teams.

Israel, meanwhile, has pushed back sharply. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar denounced Sánchez as an “antisemite and a liar.” 

The Israeli government remains defiant in the face of mounting diplomatic and cultural isolation, defending its ongoing military campaign launched after the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023.