The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is facing renewed criticism after Israel was excluded from the official promotional video for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 album, despite finishing second in the Grand Final. Fans and observers are calling out the EBU for what they describe as hypocrisy and political inconsistency.
Yuval Raphael, who represented Israel with New day will rise, was not featured in the official album video shared across the Eurovision Song Contest’s social media platforms. The video includes clips from a range of countries, including Sweden, Austria, Germany, France, and Estonia — but makes no reference to Israel’s entry, even though it achieved one of the contest’s top results.
Political pressure and public outcry
The omission has sparked widespread backlash online, particularly among Eurovision fans who have been divided for months over the EBU’s handling of Israel’s participation amid the ongoing war in Gaza. Many have accused the organisation of attempting to quietly distance itself from its own controversial decision to allow Israel to take part in the contest, which was held on 17 May in Basel, Switzerland.
While the EBU has long maintained that the contest is a non-political event, critics argue that its selective actions reflect a clear inconsistency. For months leading up to the contest, artists, broadcasters and thousands of fans called for a boycott of Israel due to accusations of war crimes in Gaza. The EBU rejected these calls and defended Israel’s right to participate, citing its apolitical framework.
A controversial journey to the top
Yuval Raphael’s Eurovision journey became one of the most debated of the season. Despite placing 15th with the professional juries, she surged to second place in the overall results thanks to a massive televote.
At the time of writing, the EBU has not commented on the reason behind Israel’s exclusion from the promotional video. With no official explanation provided, speculation and criticism continue to mount.
