Eurovision changes rules after Israeli vote manipulation scandal
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Eurovision overhauls voting rules after investigation reveals Israeli Government Advertising Agency ran a coordinated campaign for the 2025 entry of Yuval Raphael.
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JJ from Austria stands on the stage with the trophy after winning the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, May 18, 2025 (AP, File)
The Eurovision Song Contest is overhauling its voting system after the Israeli government orchestrated a coordinated campaign to manipulate public voting at the 2025 competition, where "Israel's" entry received the highest televote score.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced new rules limiting votes to 10 per person, down from 20, and explicitly banning contestants and broadcasters from engaging with promotional campaigns by third parties, including governments.
The changes come after "Israel's" representative Yuval Raphael topped the public vote at the May 2025 contest in Basel, Switzerland, with 297 votes for her song "New Day Will Rise." She finished second overall after jury votes were added, with Austria winning the competition.
Government campaign exposed
An investigation by Eurovision News Spotlight, the EBU's fact-checking network, uncovered that the Israeli Government Advertising Agency orchestrated a massive digital campaign to boost votes for Raphael.
The campaign included a YouTube channel created in April 2025 that published 89 videos between May 6 and 16, amassing over 8.3 million views. The videos featured Raphael speaking in multiple languages across 35 countries, urging people to vote for her up to 20 times. One unlisted video received over 25.2 million views before being removed on the day of the Grand Final.
Analysis of the Google Ads Transparency Center confirmed the advertisements were placed by the verified account of the Israeli Government Advertising Agency. Official Israeli government social media accounts and embassies worldwide amplified the videos, encouraging people to vote 20 times for Raphael.
Broadcaster complaints
Multiple national broadcasters raised concerns and requested audits of the voting process. The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Slovenia, Iceland, Belgium, Finland, and Ireland all expressed concerns about televoting manipulation and state-backed promotion.
Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS specifically cited "proven interference by the Israeli government during the last edition of the Song Contest, with the event being used as a political instrument."
New rules for 2026
In response to the controversy, the EBU announced comprehensive changes on November 21, 2025. Eurovision director Martin Green said there had been "a lot of feedback from members and our fans" following the 2025 show, according to the BBC.
"There was a little fear that we're seeing some undue promotion, particularly by third parties, perhaps governments, that are out of proportion of the rest of the natural promotion that you should see in the show," Green said in a statement.
The new measures include reducing the maximum votes per person from 20 to 10, explicitly discouraging "disproportionate promotion campaigns... particularly when undertaken or supported by third parties, including governments or governmental agencies," and returning professional juries to the semi-finals for the first time since 2022.
Broadcasters and artists are now barred from actively engaging with promotional campaigns by third parties that could influence voting outcomes, with violations resulting in sanctions. The EBU will also strengthen technical safeguards to detect and prevent fraudulent or coordinated voting activity.
'Israel's' participation remains highly controversial
In September, five countries, Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Iceland, officially declared they will withdraw if "Israel" is allowed to compete.
The EBU postponed a planned November 2025 vote on "Israel's" participation, citing "recent developments in the Middle East," including the Gaza ceasefire. The matter will be discussed at an in-person General Assembly meeting in December 2025; however, it remains unclear whether a vote will be held.
Several countries, including Germany, Italy, and the host nation, Austria, have indicated they support "Israel's" continued participation or would withdraw if "Israel" is excluded.
The #Eurovision Song Contest 2026, set to take place in Vienna in May 2026, is facing an unprecedented political crisis over "Israel’s" participation.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 6, 2025
Broadcasters from #Spain, #Ireland, Netherlands, Slovenia, and Iceland have announced they will boycott the contest if "Israel"… pic.twitter.com/9T1Pkqkdx0
The EBU contradicts itself
The situation has exposed inconsistencies in where Eurovision draws the line separating music from politics. For example, Russia was swiftly banned from the 2022 contest following the start of the war in Ukraine, with the EBU stating Russia's inclusion could bring the competition into disrepute. Belarus was also expelled after its entry threatened political dissidents.
However, despite international recognition of a genocide in Gaza and documented government interference in the 2025 voting, "Israel" has not been formally banned. Meanwhile, EBU emphasizes its desire to keep "geopolitics off the stage."
