Eurovision winner JJ condemns Israel over its war on Gaza

Austrian-Filipino singer, who grew up in Dubai, has called for greater transparency in voting at the long-running music contest

Austrian-Filipino singer JJ narrowly beat Israel's Yuval Raphael at Eurovision 2025. Reuters

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Eurovision 2025 winner JJ has condemned the Israeli government over its war on Gaza, and has called for Israel to be excluded from next year's competition.

“It's very disappointing to see Israel still participating. I would like Eurovision to be held without Israel in Vienna next year,” the Austrian-Filipino singer told Spanish daily El Pais.

“But the ball is in the European Broadcasting Union's court. We, the artists, can only speak out on the matter.”

JJ, whose real name is Johannes Pietsch, won the 69th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday, representing Austria. He narrowly beat Israel's Yuval Raphael, who surged later in the competition via public votes.

Eurovision-winning countries typically host the competition the following year. JJ was born in Vienna to an Austrian father and Filipino mother, and grew up in Dubai where his dad ran an IT business.

JJ won the contest for his pop-opera song Wasted Love. AP

JJ was not alone in his sentiments. Demonstrations calling for Israel to be banned from the competition were also held outside the Eurovision venue in Basel, Switzerland. Earlier this week, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for the exclusion of Israel from future Eurovision contests.

Meanwhile, Spanish broadcaster RTVE has asked Eurovision organisers, the European Broadcasting Union, for an audit to determine how Israel dominated the public vote.

In his interview with El Pais, JJ also spoke about greater transparency with the voting. “This year, everything was very strange about it,” he said.

While JJ's comments on Israel were praised by many, Jewish bodies in Austria criticised his stance, prompting the singer to issue a statement via his management company Manifester Music.

“I am sorry if my words were misunderstood,” JJ said. “Although I am critical of the Israeli government, I condemn all forms of violence against civilians anywhere in the world – be it against Israelis or Palestinians. I will not comment further on this issue.”

Demonstrators waves Palestinian flags and burn flares during a demonstration against Israel outside the Eurovision finale in Switzerland. AFP

Growing up in a musical family, JJ spoke to The National about how living in Dubai shaped his signature pop-opera sound. His winning song, Wasted Love, about unrequited love, showcased his unique falsetto voice and mixes classical music with techno beats.

“It actually was in Dubai that I discovered my love for music, especially classical music,” he said. “When I was a kid, my parents hosted karaoke parties almost every weekend, and me and my sisters loved to sing along – especially songs by Kelly Clarkson and Mariah Carey. My father would also make us listen to classical music. So I guess this is also a reason, why I sing 'popera' now. It is a privilege to be able to combine both worlds.”