The organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest have been called on to explain the conspicuously high number of public votes that Israel received. Several broadcasters have contacted the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in Geneva regarding the allocation of points.

Israel’s Yuval Raphael defied expectations to come in second in the annual Eurovision song contest on Saturday, narrowly losing out to Austria after being buoyed by the popular vote but also drawing points from the juries in 14 countries. “Thank you, Europe! Am Yisrael chai!” Raphael shouted from the stage after her performance.

Israel’s Yuval Raphael finished in second place overall at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland, and first in the public vote, as Austria’s JJ took the overall win at the annual competition.