Gap between Eurovision audience and jury grows loud

Last Saturday night, as I sat watching the Eurovision Song Contest unfold, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of pride and frustration. Israel’s representative, Yuval Raphael, delivered a stunning performance of New Day Will Rise, a song that resonated deeply with millions. The public agreed, awarding Israel a whopping 297 points, the highest in the popular vote. And yet, the professional juries placed Israel 14th, which meant Israel came second overall, losing to Austria’s JJ Pietsch, who didn’t fare nearly as well in the popular vote.

There’s something unsettling about the growing gap between jury and public votes. It’s not just a difference of opinion, it’s starting to feel like something else. This isn’t a once-off anomaly. In 2024, Israel’s Eden Golan received 323 points from the public but only 52 from the jury, finishing fifth. In 2023, Noa Kirel’s electric Unicorn similarly captivated the public, only to be reined in by much lower jury support. Time after time, Israel’s entries draw mass appeal, yet the juries don’t seem to see the same thing.

Eurovision insists that it’s apolitical. But this year, the disconnect was impossible to ignore. The contest was held in Basel, Switzerland, the same city where Theodor Herzl hosted the first Zionist Congress in 1897, the symbolic birthplace of modern political Zionism. And yet, 128 years later, Israel was the subject of loud protests in that very city, with demonstrators calling for its exclusion from the competition over the war in Gaza. The irony couldn’t be starker.

During Raphael’s performance, there were audible boos from some in the audience, but viewers at home probably didn’t hear them. Broadcasters reportedly used enhanced cheering and applause to drown out the negativity. It was a surreal reminder that even the crowd noise at Eurovision can be edited to fit the narrative.

It’s clear that Raphael wasn’t being judged solely on her vocals or stage presence. She, like several Israeli performers before her, seemed to be judged on the fact that she was Israeli. And that’s the heart of the issue. Artists shouldn’t have to carry the burden of political controversies that have nothing to do with them personally. The jury system is meant to offer a professional, impartial assessment, but it’s becoming harder to believe that it does.

And yet, despite all this, Israel won the popular vote. And not by a small margin. The public gave Israel top points from 14 countries, including major European nations like the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. That kind of widespread support tells us something important.

Why did Israel win the hearts of so many people across Europe? Is it because people are able to separate politics from performance? Or is it because, despite what we’re told, Israel actually has far more support than many assume?

It could be both. Perhaps viewers are simply more open-minded than some would believe. Maybe they recognise strength, resilience, and talent, even when politics swirl around the artist. Or maybe they’ve grown tired of the double standards and chose to respond in the most honest way they could: by voting for the act they loved.

Whatever the reason, Israel’s victory in the public vote matters. In a year when so many tried to push Israel out of the contest entirely, this was a quiet but powerful statement. It proved that while political agendas might dominate headlines, they don’t always sway hearts.

Israel may not have taken home the trophy this time. But it walked away with something just as powerful – the backing of millions who were moved not by politics, but by performance. And in today’s world, that counts for a lot.

Israel didn’t just compete. It triumphed where it truly matters.

• Paula Slier is the founder and chief executive of Newshound Media International, and hosts the afternoon Home Run on ChaiFM.