how boycott states scored Israel at Eurovi

Following the decision that Israel will take part in Eurovision 2026 in Austria, four countries have withdrawn from the competition: Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Ireland. We checked how their absence would have affected the scoreboard had they already pulled out this year. Here are the results:

2025: Even Ireland’s juries showed love

Yuval Raphael, who represented Israel at the most recent Eurovision held in Basel, got “only” 60 points from the juries. Ireland’s juries gave Israel 7 points, the Dutch juries awarded 5 points, and Israel got no jury points at all from Slovenia or Spain.By contrast, Israel received 297 points from viewers at home, which ultimately brought Raphael to a respectable second-place finish. The Netherlands and Spain, two of the countries that are quitting this year, should know that their audiences adored the Israeli song and gave it 12 points. Irish viewers also liked “New Day Will Rise,” awarding it 10 points. Slovenian viewers did not stay indifferent either and gave a modest 6 points.

‘Hasta la vista, baby?’: Spain’s Melody performs ‘Esa diva’ in Eurovision 2025 final

(Photo: Corinne Cumming/EBU)

In other words, in 2025 Israel received a total of 52 points from the countries now leaving the contest, 12 from jury panels, an average of 3 points per country, and 40 from home viewers, an average of 10 points per country.

By the way, two countries gave the Israeli song zero points, neither from juries nor from viewers: Poland and Armenia, even though neither has expressed any desire to withdraw. Austria, which beat Israel by a wide margin, received 20 points from Slovenia (10 from the juries and 10 from viewers), 16 from Ireland (12 from the juries and 4 from viewers), 15 from the Netherlands (12 from the juries and 3 from viewers), and 11 from Spain (7 from the juries and 4 from viewers). So even if all votes for Austria from those countries were canceled, singer JJ would have lost 62 points, not enough to stop him from taking the title.

‘Where are our points?’: Armenia’s representative performs in Eurovision 2025 final

(Photo: Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU)

2024: All the boycott states’ points came from viewers

At Eurovision 2024, after the war began, when Eden Golan represented Israel, the same four countries still gave Israel points. The Netherlands and Spain each awarded 12 points, all of them from viewers at home after their juries gave Israel zero. Viewers in Ireland and Slovenia also liked the Israeli song and handed out 10 points each, again with zero from juries.

That means in 2024 Israel received 44 points from the withdrawing countries, all of them from the public vote. Golan ultimately finished fifth with 375 points, 323 from viewers and only 52 from juries, who are supposed to be music professionals rather than political actors.

2023: Slovenian viewers did not like Noa Kirel

What about before the war? In 2023, Israel was represented by Noa Kirel, who placed third with 362 points, far behind Sweden and Finland in first and second. Kirel received 177 jury points and 185 viewer points.

Armenia, which has given Israel just one point since the war began, likely for reasons tied to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and Israeli arms sales to Baku, gave Israel a perfect 24 points in 2023. Azerbaijan also awarded Israel 24 points that year.

The Armenians loved it: Noa Kirel in the Eurovision 2023 final

(Photo: Sarah Louise Bennett/EBU)

And the countries now boycotting? Spain gave 15 points (8 from juries, 7 from viewers). The Netherlands gave 8 points (2 from juries, 6 from viewers). Ireland also gave Kirel 8 points (7 from juries, 1 from viewers). Slovenia gave Israel no points at all.

In 2022 Israel did not qualify for the final. In 2021, Eden Alene received four points from the Netherlands, three from Spain and one from Slovenia. Ireland, like many participating countries that year, gave no points to Israel’s entry, which finished 17th.

Eden Alene in the first semifinal in Rotterdam

(Photo: AFP)

In 2019, when crowds were still allowed before the coronavirus pandemic, Tel Aviv hosted Eurovision. Kobi Marimi ended with 35 points, none of them from the countries now quitting.

In 2018, Netta Barzilai won by a landslide, collecting 212 jury points and 317 viewer points. Spain loved the song and gave 22 points. In the Netherlands, juries disappointed with just 5 points while viewers gave 10, for a total of 15. Ireland awarded Barzilai 13 points (7 from juries and 6 from viewers). Slovenia went against the trend and gave only one point, from its juries.

Bottom line

The data show clear sympathy for Israel in at least three of the four countries that are leaving. Their absence would not significantly change the results, since more than 30 other countries are still willing to compete alongside Israel in the prestigious contest. The main losers are the viewers in Slovenia, Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands, whose countries will not take part in Eurovision, the glittering, high-profile show that draws huge interest, especially across Europe.