Scooter Braun, the producer behind some of the world’s biggest artists, defends Yuval Raphael and Israel’s second-place finish at Eurovision 2025, emphasizing the significance of the public vote.
The controversy surrounding the Eurovision 2025 Grand Final and Israel’s second-place finish continues to make headlines. While countries such as Spain and Belgium question the results, and representatives claim that Israel “engineered votes,” one highly successful producer is unafraid to voice his support for Israel. Scooter Braun, the producer behind the careers of Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Kanye West, and others, has spoken out against critics of Yuval Raphael and explained why she received such overwhelming support from the public vote.
“The public spoke, and you should’ve listened to them.” Braun declared in a video posted on social media. “There are people having an issue with this young woman, Yuval, taking second place at Eurovision.. She was number one in the public vote and number two overall in the competition. And I would just say being number one by the public is the most important thing.” Braun, an American Jew, pointed a finger at members of the European music industry who criticized the result: “Have any of you ever made a huge superstar globally? I don’t think so.. So what makes you think that you know what the public wants?”
Braun Highlights Raphael’s Personal Story
Braun also offered an emotional reflection on Raphael’s past: “Here’s a girl who survived the Nova massacre—someone whose life was almost taken while she was celebrating at a music festival. She found the courage to go on stage and sing a song about overcoming those odds, about hope for another day, and about living in love and peace.. And you’re questioning why the public loved this song and loved her??“
Public Support Versus Jury Decisions
As a reminder, Yuval Raphael finished second in the Eurovision 2025 Grand Final after winning the public vote but only placing 15th with the jury. The gap between the public vote and the jury’s decision sparked heated debate on social media, criticism from some contest representatives regarding Israel’s participation, and even statements from prime ministers. Despite the vocal opposition, it is clear there are many influential supporters within the music industry.
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Sources: scooterbraun, Kan 11.
Eurovision 2025: The 69th Eurovision Song Contest was held in the city of Basel, Switzerland, on May 13, 15, and 17. This marked the third time Switzerland hosted the contest, with the previous occasion being in 1989 in Lausanne. The venue for the event was St. Jakobshalle, which has a capacity of 12,400 seats. It was the first time that Basel served as the host city for the Eurovision Song Contest.
