Israel Wins Vote, Will Compete in Eurovision
By Aaron Gold
Israel will compete. The drama is over. Israel will compete in next years Eurovision contest after winning an overwhelming vote from the European Broadcasting Union members. The EBU decided to adopt a number of reforms instead of having a referendum on Israel’s participation.
From the Times of Israel: “The final vote was 738 votes in favor of adopting the reforms without a vote on participation, 264 against and 120 abstentions (each country receives 24 votes divided among its broadcasters). That means only 11 countries voted to force a direct vote on Israel’s participation.”
Iceland, Spain, The Netherlands, Ireland and Slovakia have decided to boycott the contest over Israel over false allegations regarding the war in Gaza.
Watch Yuval Raphael’s “New Day Will Rise” from Eurovision 2025
Israel has done remarkably well the last three years. In 2025, Yuval Raphael finished in 2nd place overall (1st place in the public vote). In 2024, Eden Golan finished in 5th place overall (1st place in the public vote). And in 2023, Noa Kirel finished in 3rd place overall (3rd place in the public vote). Despite all of the noise, Israel and Israeli artists are popular in Europe. Israel has won Eurovision four times: 1978 with Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta, 1979 with Milk and Honey, 1998 with Dana International, and in 2018 with Netta.
By Aaron Gold. Aaron Gold is a writer and the founder of The Hasmonean.
Stay informed with the latest news and analysis on Jewish news, culture and more on The Hasmonean
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