Eurovision, Israel and the politics of pop music
May 18, 2026 •
Over the weekend, Eurovision got a feel-good ending. Bulgaria won the contest for the very first time with their infectious song Bangaranga. And Australia came close - with Delta Goodrem placing 4th.
But the controversy over Israel didn’t go away. Israeli singer Noam Bettan finished second, after getting a huge huge public vote – despite protests outside the contest, boycotts from five countries, and warnings over the Israeli broadcaster KAN running a campaign telling people to vote ten times.
Eurovision insists it’s a non-political contest... but over the past three years, Israel’s place in it has exposed how political that stage can be – and how useful it can be for a government trying to shape how the world sees it.
Today, author of Eurovision!: A History of Modern Europe Through the World’s Greatest Song Contest, Chris West, on the boycott, the vote, and how Israel turned the world’s biggest song contest into a soft-power campaign.
If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.
And Eurovision audio is courtesy of SBS.
Eurovision, Israel and the politics of pop music
1919 • May 18, 2026
Eurovision, Israel and the politics of pop music
Over the weekend, Eurovision got a feel-good ending. Bulgaria won the contest for the very first time with their infectious song Bangaranga. And Australia came close - with Delta Goodrem placing 4th.
But the controversy over Israel didn’t go away. Israeli singer Noam Bettan finished second, after getting a huge huge public vote – despite protests outside the contest, boycotts from five countries, and warnings over the Israeli broadcaster KAN running a campaign telling people to vote ten times.
Eurovision insists it’s a non-political contest... but over the past three years, Israel’s place in it has exposed how political that stage can be – and how useful it can be for a government trying to shape how the world sees it.
Today, author of Eurovision!: A History of Modern Europe Through the World’s Greatest Song Contest, Chris West, on the boycott, the vote, and how Israel turned the world’s biggest song contest into a soft-power campaign.
If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.
And Eurovision audio is courtesy of SBS.
Guest: Author of Eurovision!: A History of Modern Europe Through the World's Greatest Song Contest, Chris West.
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7am is a daily show from Solstice Media.
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