Israeli authorities have spent at least $1 million to promote their artists and turn Eurovision into a tool for influence. Israel may also have manipulated the voting results in its favor, The New York Times found in its investigation.
According to the newspaper, some of the money came from the propaganda unit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration. In 2024, the government spent more than $800,000 on advertising related to the contest, with the bulk coming from the Foreign Ministry. Last year, Israel also ran online ads in several languages urging people to vote “20 times“ for its entrant. This year, the Israeli side is running a similar campaign, urging people to vote “10 times” for its artist.
The newspaper points out that Israel has won votes in countries where anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian sentiment is widespread, although there is no direct evidence of the use of bots or other vote-rigging strategies. Last September, Eurovision organizers opened a vote on Israel's participation in the contest, but later canceled it, citing the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The BBC previously reported that Ireland, Iceland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia had refused to broadcast Eurovision 2026 on national television. Late last year, these countries also withdrew their participants due to Israel's participation. The boycott was the largest in the festival's 70-year history.
The Eurovision 2026 contest will be held in Vienna, Austria, on May 12, 14 and 16.