NEW | Eurovision has announced major rule changes after widespread backlash over Israel’s heavily manipulated public‑vote surge in the 2025 contest.
Multiple countries warned that Israel’s results were artificially inflated through government‑funded promotional campaigns, which used state agencies, paid advertisements, and coordinated online activity to sway the vote, violating the spirit of the competition.
In response, Eurovision organizers will now ban artists and broadcasters from participating in any state‑backed promotion, explicitly targeting the kind of campaigns Israel used last year. Public voting will also be reduced from 20 to just 10 votes per person, after critics said Israel exploited the previous system to distort the results.
Several countries, including Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland, and the Netherlands, have signaled they may boycott the next contest if Israel participates, as Eurovision is enabling political interference amid Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
A postponed vote on Israel’s participation leaves uncertainty hanging over the 2026 contest as Eurovision attempts damage control after one of the most controversial results in its history.
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