20.05.2025 14:31
The second place achieved by Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest held in Basel, Switzerland, sparked discussions about the transparency of the public voting. The organizer of the contest, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), faced criticism regarding the voting system.
In the Eurovision Song Contest held in Basel on May 17, Israel received the most votes in the public voting, finishing second despite lagging behind in the jury points, which drew reactions from many countries' broadcasting organizations and representatives.
Broadcasting organizations from Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovenia, and Ireland expressed their concerns about the "transparency" of the public voting, while some representatives participating in Eurovision stated that they found Israel's second-place finish "unfair."
THE STRONGEST REACTION CAME FROM SPAIN
Spain's state television RTVE, which called for Israel to be banned from the contest due to its ongoing attacks on Gaza, expressed doubts about the validity of the public voting and demanded a detailed examination of the vote distribution.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also stated that Israel should be banned from international competitions and events like the Eurovision Song Contest.
Sanchez said, "Three years ago, when Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, and Ukraine requested Russia to withdraw from international competitions and not participate in contests like we recently saw in Eurovision, no one was surprised. The same should not be surprising for Israel. Israel should not participate because we cannot allow a double standard in culture."
CONCERNS ABOUT "TRANSPARENCY" FROM COUNTRIES' BROADCASTING ORGANIZATIONS
Public broadcasters AVROTROS and NPO in the Netherlands stated in a joint statement that geopolitical tensions have been included in the contest and that they want to "bring this issue to the table" with the EBU and other countries.
Belgium's VRT television, which supported Palestine throughout the contest, also expressed its doubts about the transparency of the public voting, emphasizing that they would reconsider their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest if the EBU does not address these issues.
Slovenia's state television RTVSLO shared its concerns regarding the public voting, while Ireland's Radio Television (RTE) requested discussions about the public voting system and Israel's participation.
RESPONSE TO RESULTS FROM EUROVISION PARTICIPANTS
Erika Vikman, representing Finland in the contest, stated that Israel "manipulated" the votes, saying, "I think this is very unfair."
Belgian representative Red Sebastian expressed sadness over the politicization of the contest, stating, "I think all countries and relevant parties should come together and start a discussion about Israel's participation."
Laura Tesoro, who represented Belgium in 2016, reacted to her country's awarding 12 points to Israel, saying, "Children are dying in Palestine, and we are giving 12 points to Israel in Eurovision. It's madness. We have been watching images of children and people dying of hunger for months, and then we do something like this."
Tommy Cash, the Estonian representative who finished third just one point behind Israel, said, "I wish we could have gotten that 1 point. The matter has shifted a bit into politics."
EBU ALSO RESPONDED
In response to the reactions from countries, the EBU defended itself, claiming that the public voting was conducted with "the most advanced system in the world."
EBU also acknowledged the concerns raised and announced that it would discuss the future of the contest with member broadcasting organizations.
Eurovision Song Contest Director Martin Green claimed that the public voting was examined by an expert team and that the results were verified by an independent company.
In the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest held in Basel, Austria's representative JJ won with the song "Wasted Love." Israel's participation was protested throughout the contest.