A New York Times investigation found Israel ran a coordinated, multi-year campaign to influence Eurovision results.
– Israel spent at least $1 million on Eurovision marketing, including over $800,000 in ads around the 2024 Malmö contest, partly funded by Netanyahu’s government propaganda office
– Multilingual ads urged viewers to vote up to 20 times for Israel’s contestants. Netanyahu himself posted voting graphics on Instagram
– Israeli embassies reportedly pressured European broadcasters to keep Israel in the contest
– Israel’s singer won the popular vote in countries where Israel polls deeply unpopular
– The European Broadcasting Union kept full vote data secret, canceled an emergency vote on Israel’s participation, and adopted vague rule changes instead
– Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, and Slovenia boycotted the 2026 contest in Vienna
Source: @MarioNawfal
