Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2025 divides European audiences

Brussels – The final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, scheduled for Saturday (May 17) in Basel, Switzerland, is approaching amid growing tension. At the center of the controversy is the participation of Israel, represented this year by singer Yuval Raphael, who survived a Hamas attack on the Nova music festival in the south of the country in October 2023. Her performance, a trilingual song titled “New Day Will Rise,” became a symbol of resistance for some. For others, it is controversial in an already highly polarized context.

Israel’s admission to Eurovision is not new, nor is it a stretch: the country is a member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which also allows the participation of broadcasters from non-European states as long as they fall within the broadcasting area defined by the EBU. Israel has been participating since 1973 and has won four editions, most recently in 2018. However, the current context has changed profoundly. In recent months, the continuation of Israel’s military operation on Gaza has fueled strong civic protests across Europe. Some delegations have reported internal discontent, while campaigns to boycott the final are multiplying on social media. During Raphael’s performance, who had already received death threats ahead of her participation in the event, visible tensions emerged, including boos and pro-Palestinian symbols in the audience.

According to the EBU, the issue goes beyond political merit. Founded in 1950 with a dual mission, both technical and value-based, the organization promotes the idea of free and independent public broadcasting. Israel became a case in point after the suppression in 2017 of the Israel broadcasting authority, deemed overly critical by the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, and its replacement by the current Kan broadcaster. Although less confrontational, Kan continues to be under political pressure. In 2023, the then-Israeli communications minister proposed its privatization, which, if implemented, could place the country in violation of EBU criteria. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the EBU excluded Russia only following threats of withdrawal by some member states. In the case of Israel, there has not yet been similar pressure, yet the dissatisfaction is palpable. The politicization of the contest is a well-established phenomenon. Over the years, victories by Dana International or Conchita Wurst reinforced the contest’s image as a promoter of inclusion and civil rights. Today, that narrative confronts a more complex and divisive reality.

Excluding Israel from the music competition would require substantially revising the eligibility criteria and have potential legal and diplomatic consequences. However, the balance is increasingly precarious. According to an extensive segment of television viewers and critics, the EBU should clarify whether the primary objective remains the protection of editorial freedom, even at the expense of the perceived neutrality of the competition, or whether it will need to redefine its mission in light of new geopolitical sensitivities.