Eurovision Controversy: Boos and Protests Mar Israel's Victory Bid
A solitary Austrian emerges victorious in the Eurovision Song Contest.
By Volker Probst, Basel
All Stefan Raab's pleading and begging did not pay off. Not even with the juries of the neighboring German-speaking countries. Not only did the host country Switzerland give Germany, "0 points" in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), but even the Austrian jurors rated the German entry "Baller" as a zero. And this, although (or because?) the siblings Abor & Tynna, who entered the St. Jakobshalle in Basel with the German flag, are indeed legitimate Viennese.
However, that alone was not the reason why Raab's declared mission to win the ESC again after Lena Meyer-Landrut's victory in 2010 and thus bring it back to Germany failed. Both the juries, who awarded "Baller" a total of 77 points - including 12 each from the Czech Republic and Ukraine - and the viewers, who gave the song 74 points, only resulted in a midfield position. In the end, with a total of 151 points, it was only enough for 15th place.
In a race whose outcome was as unpredictable as it has been for a long time at the ESC, the countertenor JJ, known as Johannes Pietsch in civilian life, had his nose ahead in the final tally. Although his song "Wasted Love", which oscillates between classical and pop, was among the closer favorites. But countries like France (Louane with "Maman"), the Netherlands (Claude with "C'est la vie") or Sweden (KAJ with "Bara bada bastu"), which were even briefly hailed as the sure winner by some, were also counted on.
In the end, they only managed 4th (Sweden, 321 points), 7th (France, 230 points) or 12th (Netherlands, 175 points). All of them were overtaken by Tommy Cash from Estonia, who with his Italo-pop parody "Espresso Macchiato", stand-up comedy qualities, and a hip-swing that brought the audience to their knees, enchanted the masses. At least with the audience, who gave Cash the second-highest score of 258 points and thus helped him to a total of 356 points and 3rd place. The 98 points from the juries alone would have only meant 9th place for him.
Yes, it was the same as in previous years: The votes of the so-called expert jurors often went against the audience's opinion. It will likely remain a mystery why the unremarkable entries from Switzerland (Zoe Guety with "Voyage") and the UK (Remember Monday with "What The Hell Just Happened?") received 214 and 88 points respectively from the juries, placing them 2nd and 8th, while the audience awarded them 0 points each, resulting in final placements of 10th and 19th.
The tragedy of this year's Song Contest lay in the controversy surrounding Israel's performance. Yuval Raphael, who represented Israel this year with the song "New Day Will Rise", faced protests and boos during her performance in Basel. This was a repeat of the drama that unfolded during the ESC final in Malmo in 2013, but to an even greater extent.
In 2023, Eden Golan received the second-highest number of audience votes but only the twelfth-highest from the juries, allowing her to place 5th. Her performance in the ESC final was met with boos and disapproval from the audience.
Those who thought that the ESC community, which always prides itself on tolerance and inclusion, had learned from this unfortunate event, and that the clocks would tick differently in Switzerland, were proven wrong in the St. Jakobshalle. The juries only awarded Raphael 60 points, placing her 14th. It seemed that the survivor of the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023, had no chance. However, when it became clear that the audience had awarded Raphael 297 points, including 12 from Germany, giving her the highest score and a chance at overall victory, the atmosphere in the hall changed.
TV Celebrating until hate comes
The final showdown between JJ and Raphael was accompanied by deafening "Austria" chants. When it was clear that the Austrian had won the extremely close race, cheering erupted that was not just unsettling but downright alarming, regardless of whether one is Israeli or not. Another jolt came when a journalist at the post-event press conference thanked JJ for his victory, claiming he had "saved us all". The Austrian was also celebrated for being the third consecutive openly queer ESC winner after Loreen and Nemo.
The fact that the ESC provides a vivid example of the strengthening of anti-Semitism is alarming. Any critical engagement with Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip is necessary and justified - but the scorn with which an Israeli singer was once again held collectively responsible for her country's politics in Basel is far from it.
- Music
- Pop Music
- Eurovision Song Contest
- TV
- ARD
- Stefan Raab
Enrichment Data:
Overall:
Israel's performance in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, led by singer Yuval Raphael, was met with controversy and boos primarily due to the ongoing political tensions and conflicts involving Israel. Here are the key reasons and events surrounding the controversy:
- Political Tensions and Protests: The performance coincided with heightened tensions over the Israel-Gaza conflict, which has resulted in significant casualties, particularly among Palestinians. This led to protests and vocal opposition to Israel's participation in the contest[1][2].
- Protests During Rehearsals: During the dress rehearsal for the second semi-final, protesters disrupted Yuval Raphael's performance with oversized flags and whistles, leading to their removal from the venue[1].
- Stage Storming Attempt: In the final, pro-Palestinian protesters attempted to storm the stage, further highlighting the political tensions surrounding Israel's participation[2].
- Audience Reaction and Alleged Manipulation: There were reports of audience boos during Raphael's performance, which some viewers claimed were muted or drowned out by added audio in the broadcast. This led to accusations of censorship and manipulation of crowd noise[1][4].
- Highest Audience Votes: Despite the controversy, Israel received the highest public vote in Eurovision history, reflecting a strong support for the country's entry among the viewing audience[3].
In summary, the controversy surrounding Israel's performance was largely driven by political tensions and protests, yet the public vote showed significant support for Israel's entry.
I'm not going to be a big fan of your music, entertainment, or sports-betting firms if they choose to sponsor or associate with events like the Eurovision Song Contest, given the controversial and politically charged atmosphere that often surrounds it, as demonstrated by the boos and protests faced by Israeli performers in past years.
It's concerning that the Eurovision Song Contest, a platform that proudly claims to embody tolerance and inclusivity, has become a stage for expressing hate towards certain participants, such as Israel, based on their nationality or political stances, rather than their musical talents.
