The Belgian organization Hart Voor Israël (“Heart for Israel”) is demanding an investigation by the national broadcaster after its jury gave Israel zero points at Eurovision 2025, while the public awarded Israel the maximum points.

The controversy over Belgium’s Eurovision scoring for Israel continues. While the public at home awarded Israel the maximum 12 points, the Belgian jury chose not to give Israel any points. It has now been revealed that one of the jury members, singer Noémie Wolfs, participated in a pro-Palestinian campaign. In response, the organization “Hart Voor Israël” is demanding an external investigation by the Belgian national broadcaster (VRT).




Call for Investigation into Jury Composition

On Wednesday, “Hart Voor Israël” issued a public call for VRT to launch an independent investigation into the jury’s composition and its conduct. At the center of the demand is Wolfs’ participation in an Oxfam campaign with the hashtag “#SpeakUpForPalestine”, which, according to the organization, expresses clear opposition to the State of Israel. “Hart Voor Israël” states that Wolfs’ involvement in such a campaign raises serious questions about the neutrality and objectivity of the jury.

The Belgian jury this year consisted of five judges and two alternates. In addition to Wolfs, formerly the lead singer of Hooverphonic who also represented Belgium at Eurovision with other vocalists, the panel included singer Billie Leyers, musician Hans Franken, choreographer Indy van Cauwenbergh, and VRT television presenter Xavier Taveirne.

Response from the Belgian National Broadcaster

In response to inquiries on the matter, VRT spokesperson Yasmine Van der Borght explained to the Belgian newspaper HLN that the jury is selected according to clear criteria: “Members must be professionals from the music industry or possess in-depth musical knowledge, and the panel is balanced in terms of age and gender—three men and two women, or vice versa.”

According to VRT, the jury composition is reviewed and approved by the European Broadcasting Union, which is also involved in checks and audits. “If a problem is found, the union requires changes to be made. It’s a monitored process. The identities of the jury members are also kept confidential until after the final, to prevent external influences.”

“Significant Discrepancy Requires Review”

Despite this explanation, “Hart Voor Israël” claims this is a serious case of ideological bias, which has no place in a cultural competition meant to be apolitical. “The gap between the public vote and the jury’s results is too large, and therefore an urgent and transparent investigation is needed,” the organization stated.




Belgium vs. Israel: Not for the First Time

In recent months, public criticism of Israel’s participation has intensified. Notably, before the broadcast of the first Eurovision semi-final, the socialist public sector union ACOD, in collaboration with the Belgian broadcaster, aired Oxfam’s “Speak Up For Palestine” campaign video in protest of Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2025. The campaign featured various celebrities expressing opposition to violence in Gaza.

Ahead of the first semi-final’s broadcast, the socialist public sector union ACOD, together with VRT, aired Oxfam’s “Speak Up For Palestine” campaign video as a protest against Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2025.




Last year, during the second semi-final of Eurovision 2024, the Flemish broadcaster VRT briefly interrupted the live broadcast to display a message to viewers at home. The message, directed last year against Israel, read: “This is an industrial action. We condemn the human rights violations by the State of Israel. Furthermore, the State of Israel destroys press freedom. That is why we are stopping the broadcast for a moment.” The message included the hashtags #CeaseFireNow and #StopGenocideNow.

Rising Tensions: Israel, Transparency, and the Future of the Contest

This year’s Belgian controversy is notable not only for its intensity but also for its scope: with both national broadcasters and the ruling party voicing public criticism, it is clear that Eurovision has shifted from a cultural issue to a major political topic. The debate is no longer just about Israel’s position in the contest, but about the future of the voting mechanism itself—and whether it can retain public trust.

Perhaps, however, the political storm in Belgium over the Eurovision 2025 public vote is less about genuine concern for transparency or values, and more about diverting attention from Belgium’s own disappointing results in the contest.

For context: Belgian representative Red Sebastian finished only 14th out of 15 in the first semi-final, with just 23 points—a bitter disappointment for a country with a long Eurovision history. Last year, Belgium also failed to reach the grand final, with Mustii finishing 13th out of 16 with only 18 points. It may be easier to blame the voting system, the audience, or Israel, than to confront the disappointment of the results themselves.

Source: HLN.

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.