Ireland, a well-known opponent of Israel in the competition, is once again raising its voice, stating that it has not yet received the full televote results from the contest.
The Irish national broadcaster, RTE, has stated that it has not received the complete televote results from the European Broadcasting Union and has cast doubt on the conduct of the union. It should be noted that Ireland gave Israel 10 points in the televote and, unlike many other countries, also ranked Israel fourth in the jury vote—granting 7 points. This amounts to a total of 17 points, placing Ireland as one of Israel’s main supporters in the contest, alongside Azerbaijan, France, and the Netherlands.
Analyzing Ireland’s Support for Israel in Eurovision Voting
Over the years, I have observed the Eurovision Song Contest closely and noticed the influence of social and political trends on voting results. Most countries that awarded Israel 12 points have strong and influential Jewish communities, but this is not the case in Ireland, where the Jewish community is small and lacks political influence. So who gave those points to Israel?
It is possible that a combination of votes from Northern Irish residents (who are not part of Ireland but some of whom are still eligible to vote under its name) and conservative circles among the Irish themselves was enough to bring Israel to second place in the Irish public televote.
Unlike other countries, Ireland also gave Israel a respectable jury score, awarding points based on the judges’ musical opinions rather than political views, and allocated 7 points to Israel. This was done despite the clear anti-Israeli stance expressed by the Irish government and the Irish national broadcaster.
Ireland in Eurovision 2025
“Laika Party” is the name of the song performed by singer EMMY, who represented Ireland in the second semi-final of Eurovision 2025 held in Basel, Switzerland. Ireland failed to qualify for the Grand Final, finishing 13th out of 16 with just 28 points.
Over the past five years, Ireland has reached the Grand Final only once.
Eurovision 2025 marked Ireland’s 58th participation in the contest. The country joined Eurovision in 1965 and is tied with Sweden for the most wins, with seven victories. Ireland’s most recent win came in 1996 with the song “The Voice,” performed by singer Eimear Quinn.
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Ofek Jerassi is an Israeli reporter, editor, content creator, and commentator, specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He has developed his extensive expertise since childhood, becoming a close follower of the contest. For the past three years, he has served as a writer and editor for EuroMix—Israel’s largest Eurovision website and one of the world’s leading platforms in the field, with over 1.5 million users annually.
Ofek covered Eurovision 2025 on-site in Basel from the press center in the host city, providing EuroMix readers with firsthand experiences, professional analysis, and exclusive reactions from the audience, artists, and experts. His in-depth knowledge and broad familiarity with the Eurovision world are evident in every article, ensuring reliable, professional, and up-to-date content.
In his personal life, Ofek is a medic and avid traveler. He writes out of a genuine love for Eurovision, placing strong emphasis on credibility, professional commentary, and presenting a diverse range of opinions.
