NYT report finds Eurovision to be “soft power” tool for Israel

The paper’s investigation claims that the Israeli government has used the singing contest to garner global support, spending thousands of dollars on “vote promotion.”

By Miranda Wollen  |  May 13, 2026 | 3:41pm
Photo by Sebastian Reuter/Getty Images)
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NYT report finds Eurovision to be “soft power” tool for Israel

An investigation released on Tuesday by the New York Times alleges that Israel has used the ongoing Eurovision song contest to “burnish the country’s flagging reputation and rally international support.” The findings come at a time when many countries enrolled in the competition have openly denounced Israel’s 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’s “hasbara” office, which deals in overseas government propaganda—and is in direct violation of Eurovision policy. 

Concerns about the Israeli government’s involvement in Eurovision arose after last year’s 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 “vote promotion.” An analysis this week, also conducted by the Times, showed that just a few hundred individuals can swing some countries’ popular votes, meaning Israel’s guerrilla marketing campaign could have shaped the outcome. Buying ads is not illegal, but, per the Times’ 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. 

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 Israelis to “vote 20 times!” for their singer Raphael—the maximum number of votes per individual allowed that year. Multiple European pro-Israel groups have shared his message. In response to the Times’ questioning of these tactics, Medalie stated, “Everybody is jealous and triggered because Israel is achieving great results.”

The results are legitimate, and there is no evidence that Israel used bots to manipulate the vote. However, scrutiny over the country’s involvement in the contest has grown in recent months, as Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Slovenia all boycotted the event. After last year’s 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 of the event, but as the competition is now in full swing—and Israel firmly entrenched in it—how the country’s influence campaign will fare remains up in the air.

 
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