by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed




Belgian hypocrisy at Eurovision: while the national broadcaster fights Israel’s participation, Belgian viewers overwhelmingly support it. What drives this support in one of Europe’s most anti-Israel countries?

Belgium, which is fiercely attempting to prevent Israel from participating in Eurovision 2026, has now revealed its voting data for Israel in the 2025 final. The figures show that 25% of Belgian viewers voted exclusively for Israel, while the remaining 75% split their votes among other countries. This massive support from home viewers awarded Israel the maximum 12 points, in stark contrast to the Belgian jury, which – unsurprisingly, given Belgium’s pro-Palestinian stance – gave Israel zero points.




A Quarter of Belgian Viewers Backed Israel – What Happened?

Nearly 25% of the Belgian public’s votes in the Eurovision 2025 Grand Final went to Israel’s representative, Yuval Raphael, according to data from the EBU. This exceptional figure, revealed following a parliamentary inquiry, has sparked heated debate in Belgium and across Europe over the legitimacy and impact of public voting at Eurovision.

Israel’s capture of nearly a quarter of Belgian public votes – 220,554 out of 698,000 households watching – drew widespread reactions in the media, parliament, and fan communities. This voting share is ten times higher than in the first semi-final. As a result, several European broadcasters, including Belgium’s VRT, have called on the EBU to investigate the integrity of the voting system. Meanwhile, countries like Slovenia and Iceland are demanding Israel’s expulsion, a move Israel has so far managed to block from reaching a vote.

Despite the uproar, VRT is not permitted to disclose the exact number of votes Israel received or the ranking of other countries, in accordance with contest rules. However, in Italy, full results were published: Israel ranked third with 11.44% of the votes, while San Marino led by a wide margin. This year, the gap between the public and jury votes has become especially pronounced, raising questions about the objectivity of both systems.

What Drives Belgian Support for Israel?

Over the years, I have closely observed Eurovision contests and noted the influence of social and political trends on voting outcomes. This year, in conversations with members of the Jewish community in Switzerland, their mobilization to support Israel – as a song representing Jews worldwide – was evident, and sufficient to secure Israel 12 points from the Swiss public.

I believe a similar dynamic occurred in Belgium, where the Jewish community is significantly larger and more influential than in Switzerland. In Antwerp alone, there is a massive community of several tens of thousands of Jews. Even if only this community mobilized, Belgium would have awarded its 12 points to Israel. While the mobilization originates in the Jewish communities, the actual number of votes is much higher – possibly coming from conservative groups frustrated by radical Islam’s influence in Europe and viewing Israel as a counterforce.

The Jury Scandal: Zero Points for Israel

It should be noted that Belgian judge Noemie Wolfs participated in the “#SpeakUpForPalestine” campaign, which explicitly opposes the State of Israel. This year’s Belgian jury included five judges and two alternates. In addition to Wolfs, a former lead singer of Hooverphonic who also represented Belgium at Eurovision alongside other vocalists, the jury comprised singer Billie Leyers, musician Hans Franken, choreographer Indy van Cauwenbergh, and VRT television host Xavier Taveirne.

The Belgian national broadcaster, which itself provides a platform for anti-Israel statements during Eurovision broadcasts, issued a brief response claiming there was nothing improper about the jury’s composition, despite Wolfs’s clear anti-Israel bias.

Public Support vs. Official Resistance: Belgium’s Stance on Israel at Eurovision

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

Last year, during the Eurovision 2024 second semi-final, the Flemish broadcaster VRT briefly interrupted the live broadcast to display a message to viewers. The message, which targeted Israel, read:

“This is an industrial action. We condemn the human rights violations of the State of Israel. Furthermore, Israel is destroying press freedom. That is why we are interrupting the broadcast for a moment”.

The message included the hashtags #CeaseFireNow and #StopGenocideNow.

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

This year’s uproar in Belgium is not only more intense but also broader: with both broadcasters and the ruling party expressing public criticism, it is clear that Eurovision has shifted from a cultural event to a major political issue. The debate now extends beyond Israel’s place in the contest, raising questions about the future of the voting system itself and whether it retains public trust.

Perhaps, the political storm in Belgium over the Eurovision 2025 public vote is less about transparency or values and more an attempt to distract from Belgium’s own poor performance 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 disappointing result 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 public, or Israel than to confront the disappointment of the results themselves.




Belgium at Eurovision 2025:

“Strobe Lights” is the title of the song performed by Red Sebastian, who represented Belgium in the first semi-final of Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. Belgium did not qualify for the grand final, marking the second consecutive year of non-qualification. Belgium finished 14th out of 15, earning only 23 points.

Eurovision 2026: This will be Belgium’s 67th participation in the contest. Belgium joined Eurovision in 1956 as one of its seven founding nations. The country’s best result came in 1986, when Sandra Kim won first place with “J’aime la vie”.