Austrian Eurovision Winner Reverses Call to Ban Israel Over Gaza Conflict

Johannes Pietsch, known as JJ and winner of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest for Austria, initially called for Israel to be banned from the 2026 contest due to its military actions in Gaza. He expressed disappointment over Israel's continued participation despite the ongoing conflict and hoped next year's contest in Vienna would exclude Israel, though he later apologized and clarified that he condemns all violence against civilians regardless of nationality. His call sparked criticism from Austria's Jewish community and the public broadcaster ORF, which emphasized that his views are personal and Eurovision remains an apolitical, artistic event. The controversy was fueled by protests against Israel’s participation and the surprising second-place finish of Israel's representative, Yuval Raphael, who was favored by public votes but not juries. JJ also questioned the transparency of the Eurovision voting system following the contest. Despite the backlash, the European Broadcasting Union has yet to decide on Israel’s status for the 2026 competition, maintaining Eurovision's stance as a non-political event.