Millions spent to break international isolation through music

A detailed New York Times journalistic investigation, spanning ten European countries, has revealed the details of a campaign organized by the Israeli government to transform the Eurovision Festival into a powerful tool of national propaganda.

According to the report, Israel spent at least one million dollars and engaged in intense diplomatic activity to reverse the international isolation caused by the war in Gaza and accusations of genocide.

About Benjamin’s government For Netanyahu, Eurovision was not just a song contest, but a unique strategic opportunity. The turning point came in the 2024 edition in Malmö, where despite the climate of protests and calls for boycotts from countries such as Iceland and Slovenia, Israeli representative Eden Golan took second place.

This result, which came mainly from public votes in historically pro-Palestinian countries, was not spontaneous. Financial documents show that the government had allocated over $800,000 in online advertising to promote the mass vote.

A portion of these funds flowed directly from the prime minister’s office under the heading of “hasbara” – the Israeli term for public diplomacy and propaganda abroad. The investigation reveals a structural weakness in the Eurovision voting system, where in many countries the number of viewers participating in televoting is quite low.

In this context, a coordinated campaign encouraging a small group of people to vote the maximum limit of 20 times could easily overturn the result of an entire nation.

During the 2025 edition, Netanyahu himself became directly involved, posting on social media instructions for fans on how to vote maximally for the Israeli representative.

Beyond the digital sphere, Israel exercised a “parallel diplomacy” with unprecedented pressure on European broadcasters. Tel Aviv diplomats contacted public television executives, surprising media officials in countries like Iceland, who were unaccustomed to such political interference in an arts event.

This strategy is part of a broader economic plan. Israel’s budget for public diplomacy has increased tenfold, reaching $730 million in 2025.

This staggering spending is aimed at repairing the country’s badly damaged image in the US and Europe. However, the effort to “buy” public consent is yielding limited results.

At this year’s edition in Vienna, five countries – Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain – announced their withdrawal in protest.

This massive boycott proves that, despite millions of dollars in investment, art and music remain difficult to fully control through financial power when the reality on the ground says otherwise. /tesheshi

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Source: prizrenpost