Israel’s contestant Yuval Raphael made history at the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, breaking records for audience voting while receiving fewer points from national juries. Her song “New Day Will Rise” garnered a total of 357 votes from international audiences and millions watching worldwide, placing her second in the contest. In contrast, Austria’s winner JJ received 258 points from juries but only 178 audience votes.
This is not the first year Israel has outperformed its jury scores; the trend continued for the third consecutive time. The disparity between audience and jury votes can be attributed to the controversy surrounding Israel’s involvement in the Gaza conflict. Several European broadcasters criticized Israel, sparking debate over its participation in the competition.
However, the international audience shows a stark contrast, with many countries awarding Israel “douze points” or their highest score. This indicates that music lovers worldwide enjoy Raphael’s song and admire her story of survival, demonstrating a disconnect between public sentiment and elite opinions. As commentator Hen Mazzig noted, “#Eurovision public vote is saying: social media is not real life.”
Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-854437