Following the Spanish national broadcaster’s inquiry about voting for Israel, the Eurovision director delivers a clear response defending the integrity of the voting process without leaving room for interpretation
Just days after the conclusion of the Eurovision 2025 grand final in Basel, where Israel’s representative Yuval Raphael secured second place and first in the public vote, a controversy arose in Spain regarding the local voting results. The Spanish national broadcaster RTVE approached the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) demanding transparency on how the Spanish public vote was allocated, as Spain awarded Israel the full 12 points for the second consecutive year—a result that sparked public and political criticism.
EBU’s Response to Spain’s Allegations
Following the official inquiry from the Spanish national broadcaster, Martin Green, Eurovision’s executive supervisor, responded directly. In statements given to the news agency EFE and shared with the press, he rejected insinuations of manipulation or problems with the voting system and fully defended the voting process.
“The results of every country are checked and verified by a large team to rule out any suspicious or irregular voting patterns,” Green said in response to the criticism.
Continuous Dialogue Between Spain and EBU, But No Formal Investigation
Martin Green emphasized that ongoing communication exists between the EBU and RTVE since the Saturday night final but clarified that this is not a formal investigation. It is a routine dialogue held after every final, though this time the discussion has gained wider public attention due to the social media uproar and political involvement in Spain.
“The Eurovision management has been in contact with RTVE since the final night on Saturday regarding the voting dispute,” Green noted, officially confirming the exchange.
Green also recalled a similar situation in 2024, when Israel again received exceptionally high public vote points across Europe, including the full 12 points from the Spanish audience—placing Israel once more at the top of the public vote scoreboard.
Eurovision’s Voting System: The Most Accurate and Secure Worldwide
Alongside defending the voting integrity, Green stressed that the current televoting system used in Eurovision is considered the most advanced globally, incorporating advanced verification processes, cybersecurity mechanisms, and analytical review of voting patterns. According to him, there is no suspicion of bias or irregularities in awarding points—including the full points given to Israel by Spanish viewers.
“The Eurovision televoting system is the most advanced in the world,” Green declared, adding: “The process is transparent, reliable, and rigorously checked—country by country, point by point.”
It was not disclosed whether, following Spain’s inquiry, a detailed vote breakdown by cities or regions within Spain would be published. For now, the EBU maintains its position and refuses to disclose information beyond what is defined as public data in the contest.
Background: Spain Versus Israel at Eurovision
This controversy unfolds against the backdrop of a political storm triggered after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez publicly stated that Israel should not participate in Eurovision. He argued that just as Russia was excluded following its invasion of Ukraine, Israel should also be absent from the European stage due to its military actions in Gaza. He emphasized that “what we cannot afford is double standards in culture,” thereby seeking to impose cultural sanctions on Israel similar to those against Russia—a move sparking fierce debate inside and outside Spain.
Sánchez’s remarks came after Israel’s impressive success at Eurovision 2025, where Yuval Raphael earned second place thanks to overwhelming public support—including 12 points from Spanish viewers. Following this, RTVE demanded that the EBU investigate the vote tallying method, and far-left parties in Spain claimed the voting outcome resulted from a “campaign by Israel’s far-right.” Conversely, the far-right party Vox demanded the dismissal of RTVE’s CEO for allegedly broadcasting a pro-Palestinian political message live—a message that sparked both criticism and support.
In response, Israel’s Minister for the Diaspora, MK Amichai Shikli, posted a message in Spanish directly addressing Sánchez: “It seems the Spanish people have spoken—and the slap was heard here in Jerusalem.” The post, which included the scoreboard showing Spain awarding Israel the highest points, highlighted the gap between public will and government positions. This affair underscores the growing tension between politics and culture—and, in this case, Spain’s government attempt to enforce a hardline stance against Israel’s participation on the international stage.
Israel at Eurovision 2025
“New Day Will Rise” is the name of the song to be performed by Yuval Raphael, who secured second place in the grand final of Eurovision 2025, held on May 17 in Basel, Switzerland. The song was written by Keren Peles, who also wrote “Hurricane,” Israel’s entry for Eurovision 2024, and it was performed in English, French, and Hebrew.
“New Day Will Rise” touches on one of the most universal and profound themes-the life-giving power of love and hope. The lyrics address coping with loss, separation, and pain, but also the possibility of overcoming and renewal. The song conveys the belief that every ending is also a new beginning, that pain will pass, and that love will remain with us.
Eurovision 2025: This was Israel’s 47th participation in Eurovision. Israel joined the competition in 1973 and has won it four times over the years. Israel’s last victory was at Eurovision 2018 with the song “Toy” performed by singer Netta Barzilai.
