ESC winner JJ demands: Start with Israel at the next competition!

ESC winner JJ demands: Start with Israel at the next competition!

The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) is experiencing a controversy this year that is feeding from the current geopolitical tensions. Johannes Pietsch, better known as JJ, who won the competition with his song "Wasted Love" on May 22, 2025 in Basel, has clearly spoken out against Israel's participation in the ESC 2026. He wishes that the competition will take place in Vienna without Israel in the coming year and describes its participation as disappointing. These statements follow the model of last year's winner Nemo, who also demanded an exclusion of Israel. The discussion about participation of the country has been intensified in the Gaza Strip in the past few months due to the continuing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The conflict, which began in mid-October 2023, has already killed more than 50,000 people in the Gaza Strip, which influenced the reaction of many artists and participants in the ESC history. Kleine Zeitung reports that the European radio union (EBU) has been the audience since 1956.

The ESC is known for its colorful and often politically charged contributions. Thanks to the points of the specialist juries, JJ was able to achieve the victory for Austria, while the Israeli participant Yuval Raphael took second place in the final with her song "New Day Will Rise" and won the audience voting. Raphael is a survivor of the terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023, which makes their participation all the more important. The contradiction between the two artists reflects that the stage of the ESC is increasingly being used as a platform for social and political debates. Nau emphasizes that more than 70 earlier parties have expressed similar views, which underlines the explosiveness of the situation.

Israel's participation in the ESC

Israel first competed in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 and has taken part 47 times to date. The nation was able to win the competition four times, which makes it an established part of the ESC history. Despite this success, Israel's participation is increasingly questioned due to the current political situation. The discussions about a possible boycott can strongly influence the image of the competition. In Iceland, for example, there are considerations to boycott the ESC due to the events in the Gaza Strip, which could further tighten the fragile situation. wikipedia provides comprehensive information about the history of Israel at the ESC and the various placements of the country since 1973.

The European radio union is now faced with a dilemma: How can a competition that is supposed to celebrate cultural participation and diversity are neutral in times of such political tensions? While the gap between the artists and the political conditions is growing, the ESC 2026 in Vienna could become one of the most controversial events in recent years.