{"id":112438,"date":"2026-05-13T19:59:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T19:59:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/112438\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T19:59:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T19:59:08","slug":"nyt-report-finds-eurovision-to-be-soft-power-tool-for-israel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/112438\/","title":{"rendered":"NYT report finds Eurovision to be \u201csoft power\u201d tool for Israel"},"content":{"rendered":"

An investigation<\/a> released on Tuesday by the New York Times alleges that Israel has used the ongoing Eurovision song contest to \u201cburnish the country\u2019s flagging reputation and rally international support.\u201d The findings come at a time when many countries enrolled in the competition have openly denounced Israel\u2019s occupation of Gaza. Governments are not supposed to interfere with Eurovision voting, the campy singing contest organized annually by the European Broadcasting Union, but the Times discovered that Israel spent at least $1 million to promote its singer in the contest, in an effort to raise the opinion of the country during the current Palestinian genocide. Some of the aforementioned funds came out of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s \u201chasbara\u201d office, which deals in overseas government propaganda\u2014and is in direct violation of Eurovision policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Concerns about the Israeli government\u2019s involvement in Eurovision arose after last year\u2019s contest, when the country pulled out a shocking second-place finish despite intense global disapproval of its actions in the Middle East. The country also took home silver in 2024, when records show they spent $800,000 on \u201cvote promotion.\u201d An analysis this week, also conducted by the Times, showed that just a few hundred individuals can swing some countries\u2019 popular votes, meaning Israel\u2019s guerrilla marketing campaign could have shaped the outcome. Buying ads is not illegal, but, per the Times\u2019 analysis, no government has gone to as great or as controversial lengths as Israel, especially during a time when the country is so globally unpopular.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After Israeli performer Doron Medalie won in 2018, the country decided that Eurovision was a good investment and increased spending. Netanyahu himself got involved in 2025, encouraging<\/a> Israelis to \u201cvote 20 times!\u201d for their singer Raphael\u2014the maximum number of votes per individual allowed that year. Multiple European pro-Israel groups have shared his message. In response to the Times\u2019 questioning of these tactics, Medalie stated, \u201cEverybody is jealous and triggered because Israel is achieving great results.\u201d<\/p>\n

The results are legitimate, and there is no evidence that Israel used bots to manipulate the vote. However, scrutiny over the country\u2019s involvement in the contest has grown in recent months, as Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Slovenia all boycotted the event. After last year\u2019s competition, some countries either demanded that voting data be revealed or called for an external investigation. A promised review by the EBU never emerged in full. This year, the Eurovision rules have been changed so that individuals can vote only 10 times for their preferred singer. Several musicians advocated for an outright boycott<\/a> of the event, but as the competition is now in full swing\u2014and Israel firmly entrenched in it\u2014how the country\u2019s influence campaign will fare remains up in the air.<\/p>\n