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Israel Political Row Clouds Austria's Third Eurovision Victory

  • Writer: Rhianna Dankwa
    Rhianna Dankwa
  • May 19
  • 2 min read
A Eurovision 2025 winner JJ from Austria is standing on a brightly lit stage celebrating, holding a microphone trophy and a paper boat. He wears a shiny black outfit with silver details. The backdrop is a vibrant neon display with "EUROVISION" visible. Gold and silver confetti is scattered on the floor, creating a sense of victory at the music event.
JJ's song Wasted Love gave his country their third Eurovision win. Photo @eurovision/IG

Austria's historic third Eurovision 2025 win, achieved by 24-year-old Austrian-Filipino singer-songwriter JJ - whose real name is Johannes Pietsch - with his song Wasted Love, was overshadowed by significant political controversy.


Accusations of political influence and a rigged system - largely concerning Israel’s second-place result, have been entangled in his chilling, operatic sea-themed performance, which sailed his country to a winning 436 points in Basel, Switzerland. 


Runner-up Yuval Raphael’s piano ballad New Day Will Rise - performed in Hebrew, French and English - was dramatically disrupted. 


Israel's Eurovision 2025 entry Yuval Raphael is in a black dress, standing on a spiral platform, holding out large, dark, wing-like fabric pieces. She is surrounded by strands of shimmering lights that form a cylindrical structure around the platform. Behind her, a burst of golden sparks illuminates the background.
Yuval Raphael's performance was full of passion and hope to uplift her nation. Photo: @eurovision/IG

Amidst waving Palestinian flags, two protesters tried to storm the stage and throw paint at her, albeit a foiled attempt . 


Israel's participation, a flashpoint of political tension since the October 7th attacks, fueled the contentious atmosphere and left the singer ‘shaken and upset’.



Boos and "free Palestine" chants punctuated Yuval's performance, sparking viewer criticism of the EBU for alleged censorship. 


Social media footage suggests the jeers were audible, a claim the EBU denies, refuting allegations of artificially boosting crowd cheers. 


Even prior to the finale, the atmosphere in Basel was charged. The supposedly apolitical nature of the competition was called into question by anti-Israel protesters clashing with police, underscoring the widespread disapproval of the country's participation.


Spanish broadcasters declared their solidarity with Palestine before the grand final: "When human rights are at stake, silence is not an option. Peace and justice for Palestine." 


This stance defied a previous EBU warning of potential fines for partisan messages about the Gaza conflict, given Eurovision’s "non-political" label. 


Saturday's unfolding events starkly illustrated that despite the ambition to be ‘united by music’, the weight of political turmoil remains a potent catalyst for division. 


Zero public points for the UK and Switzerland post-finale fanned the flames of ‘rigged system’ claims among viewers. 


The UK's entry, country-pop trio Remember Monday, performed their ironically titled What The Hell Just Happened. 


Their infectious energy, strong vocals, and Disney Princess-esque looks charmed online fans, yet this didn’t translate to their disappointing 19th-place finish. 


UK trio 'Remember Monday' are performing on a stage. Charlotte Steele on the left is wearing a pale yellow, frilly dress with matching thigh-high boots and holding a microphone. Lauren Byrne in the centre is wearing a blue frill top with matching trousers ordained with gems. Holly-Anne Hull on the right is wearing a light pink corset-style top with a matching short skirt and platform heels, and she's holding a microphone as well. They are standing in front of a dark backdrop with some subtle lighting, and there appears to be a large, ornate candlestick prop on the right side of the stage.
UK entry Remember Monday had an amusing performance. Photo: @eurovision/IG

Unsurprisingly, TikTok is now abuzz with fans echoing the night's unspoken question: "What the hell just happened?"


Host nation Switzerland also feels robbed by the televote, landing in 10th place. 


Zoë Më's beautifully sincere Voyage,  filmed in a masterful single take reminiscent of Netflix's Adolescence, clearly resonated with viewers. 


Swiss Eurovision 2025 singer Zoë Më with dark hair pulled back and adorned with a sparkly hairpiece is singing into a microphone. She is wearing an off-the-shoulder dress with a dark base and splashes of red and blue. She is seated, with one leg slightly forward, and her hands are clasped near her chest, adorned with multiple rings. The background is a dark, muted brown, focusing the light on the singer.
Zoë Më tranquillised the audience with her simple yet powerful performance. Photo: @eurovision/IG

For a nation that birthed Eurovision as a post-war musical bridge, this year's outcome feels particularly jarring. 


It begs the question: can the political and societal ever be truly divorced?


With the competition's 70th anniversary on the horizon next year in Austria, a moment of reflection and reassessment seems necessary.

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