Eurovision tightens voting rules targeting Israel, bowing to anti-Israel states demanding political appeasement.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced sweeping changes to Eurovision’s voting system on Friday—changes that, while never mentioning Israel by name, unmistakably cater to the growing anti-Israel pressure from European states and pro-Palestinian lobbies seeking to dilute Israel’s success in the competition.
The revised rules shift greater power to national juries in the semifinals, reducing the influence of the public—an adjustment clearly designed to curb the overwhelming popular support Israel has repeatedly received from viewers across Europe. Under the new system, home audiences will be permitted only 10 votes, a sharp cut from the previous 20, explicitly justified by whispers of “irregular voting” for Israel in recent years.
In other words: Israel’s popularity among millions of ordinary Europeans is now being treated as a problem to be corrected.
The EBU also introduced new limits preventing viewers from sending large numbers of votes to a single country. Any voting pattern deemed “excessive” will be voided. This comes directly after public outcry in certain anti-Israel countries, where commentators complained that Israel continued earning strong viewer support—even from states not participating in the contest.
These changes, taken together, mark a worrying shift: instead of protecting artistic integrity, Eurovision is restructuring its rules to placate nations furious that Israel continues to perform well despite political hostility.
For years, European governments—especially those aligned with pro-Palestinian positions—have pressured the EBU to weaken Israel’s presence in the competition. Now, under the guise of “fairness,” the EBU appears ready to satisfy them.
The message is unmistakable: when Israel succeeds, change the rules.
