Overview
- Israel's Yuval Raphael won the public televote at Eurovision 2025 but placed second overall due to jury scores, sparking widespread scrutiny of the contest's voting system.
- Spain's RTVE and Belgium's VRT, joined by other broadcasters, have formally requested an audit of the televoting process, citing concerns over potential manipulation.
- The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) defends the voting system as advanced and independently monitored, while committing to a review of procedures for future contests.
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for Israel's exclusion from cultural events, comparing its participation to Russia's ban following the Ukraine invasion.
- Protests disrupted Raphael's performance, with pro-Palestinian demonstrators attempting to storm the stage and allegations of edited audience reactions further intensifying the controversy.