The Eurovision Song Contest is again under pressure over Israel’s participation, but this year attention is also turning to changes in the competition’s public voting system.
Eurovision has long been known for passionate fan support, political tensions and neighbourly voting patterns. However, organisers said they wanted to prevent what they described as “disproportionate” promotional activity linked to entries.
Last year, Israel’s entry received most of its points from viewers rather than professional juries. The country finished second overall, with public support playing a major role in the result. Around the same time, social media posts linked to Israel’s foreign ministry encouraged supporters to vote multiple times for the Israeli singer.
Eurovision Director Martin Green said organisers felt some promotional efforts had crossed a line and did not reflect the spirit of the contest. While he did not directly name Israel, he confirmed new measures had been introduced in response to concerns raised after the event.
One of the main changes limits viewers to 10 votes per payment method, down from 20 previously. Organisers also say they are introducing extra safeguards to reduce the risk of abuse or manipulation.
The issue resurfaced this week after Israel’s broadcaster KAN received a formal warning over online videos connected to this year’s entrant, Noam Bettan. In the clips, viewers were encouraged to vote 10 times for Israel. The EBU said direct calls for multiple votes were not in line with the competition’s rules.
KAN said it complies with Eurovision regulations and described the videos as an independent initiative by people close to the artist rather than an official campaign.
Martin Green defended the broader practice of countries encouraging support from fans abroad, including diaspora communities. He compared Eurovision to an international sporting event, saying public backing is a normal part of the competition.
Even with the rule changes, viewers can still cast votes using different payment methods, online, by text message and by phone call, meaning one person could still submit 30 votes overall.
Experts say no voting system is completely immune from attempts to influence results.
The song contest begins 9pm (CET) 12 May until Saturday 16 May.
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