The Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain (FCJE) has expressed its “deep concern” over the alleged discriminatory treatment of an Israeli athlete during a broadcast of the European Athletics Championships Birmingham 2026 by Spain’s public broadcaster, RTVE.
In an open letter addressed to José Pablo López, President of RTVE, the FCJE said that the incident occurred during the broadcaster’s coverage of the men’s 400 metres hurdles on Thursday, 13 August.
According to the Federation, RTVE commentators individually introduced all athletes taking part in the event, with the sole exception of Israeli competitor Omri Shiff, who was allegedly omitted entirely without explanation.
The FCJE described the treatment as “unequal and selective”, arguing that the omission of the Israeli athlete on the basis of his nationality constituted discrimination incompatible with the principles of neutrality, pluralism and inclusion expected of a public broadcasting service.
The Federation, which said it is the sole official representative body of Spain’s Jewish communities under agreements signed with the Spanish State in 1992, further argued that the incident fell within the scope of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism.
It said that a double standard had allegedly been applied to an Israeli and Jewish athlete which was not applied to the other participants in the competition. Spain is a member of the IHRA and has adopted its working definition of antisemitism.
The FCJE has formally called on RTVE to issue a public apology and correction, as well as to ensure that similar incidents do not occur again. It also requested guarantees of equal treatment for all individuals, regardless of their nationality.
The Federation said it was awaiting a response from the broadcaster and expressed confidence that RTVE, as a public service, would uphold the principles of equality and non-discrimination in its work.
