Raphael's stirring performance of "New Day Will Rise" resonated powerfully with Eurovision audiences, catapulting her from a disappointing 15th place in jury voting to an impressive second-place overall finish through massive public support. However, when the European Broadcasting Union unveiled its official Eurovision album compilation video on Friday, Raphael had vanished entirely from the celebratory montage that prominently featured performers from Austria, Estonia, Sweden, Germany, and France.

The glaring disparity has provoked immediate backlash from Eurovision enthusiasts. While other competing nations enjoyed sparkling stage presentations, dramatic soundtracks, and emotionally charged moments in the compilation, Israel appeared completely erased, as though Raphael's remarkable comeback performance never happened.

The Eurovision's official Instagram post quickly transformed into a heated forum for dismayed fans voicing their frustration. One particularly vocal user commented, "It's deeply disappointing to witness Israel, which secured second place in Eurovision this year, being deliberately excluded from this post. This contradicts the spirit of fairness and unity that the slogan 'United by Music' purports to embody. Selective inclusion represents more than mere disrespect – it reveals a double standard that countless viewers refuse to overlook."

This exclusion continues a disturbing pattern that has developed over recent Eurovision cycles. In 2023, Noa Kirel's third-place achievement secured her prominent placement in the official compilation. The subsequent year witnessed Eden Golan's fifth-place performance being omitted from promotional materials. Now, even securing second place overall has proven inadequate for inclusion, indicating an escalating trend that devoted fans are increasingly rejecting.

The controversy transcends mere disappointment, raising fundamental concerns about Eurovision's proclaimed commitment to musical unity and equitable representation. Raphael's remarkable ascent from mediocre jury scores to overall runner-up status exemplified the transformative power of audience connection – exactly the type of Eurovision breakthrough the competition typically celebrates. Her removal from official materials contradicts that inspiring narrative and generates troubling questions about the standards governing promotional decisions.

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Yet alongside applause for this extraordinary achievement during such challenging times, Raphael faced a barrage of accusations about "vote rigging" and "manipulations" from various countries criticizing the public voting system. Then, like an unexpected character in a drama about the entertainment world, Scooter Braun stepped into the spotlight.

Braun (43), a Jewish-American who orchestrated the careers of megastars like Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and Demi Lovato, wasn't previously known as a vocal supporter of Israel. However, since October 7, he underwent a transformation, evolving from someone who typically remained behind the scenes into an Israeli advocacy champion armed with Instagram and an uncompromising sense of justice.

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On Tuesday, Braun uploaded a video to his Instagram that expressed his unwavering support for Yuval and her remarkable musical achievement, "I want to talk about Eurovision because I was just reading that there are people having an issue with this young woman, Yuval, taking second place at Eurovision," he began before immediately confronting anyone questioning Raphael's success.

Braun offered no halfhearted defense. He underscored that the Eurovision manager had definitively stated that there is no evidence of vote manipulation or irregularities. His message was clear: stop inventing conspiracies because they simply aren't real.

Braun continued by exposing what he sees as the music industry's hypocrisy – an industry that claims to champion new talent but often shuts out those who don't conform to expectations. "Yuval won the audience vote. Have any of you ever made a huge superstar globally? I don't think so," he said and added, "So what makes you think that you know what the public wants?"

Yuval Raphael's narrative, Braun emphasized, transcends the typical pop star story. She survived the Nova massacre and, despite her trauma, chooses to sing messages of hope, love, and peace. "Here's a girl who survived the Nova massacre, who had her life almost taken away while she was celebrating in a music festival. And she has the courage to go on stage and sing a song about overcoming those odds and a song about there being another day to live and live in love and peace, and a video that represents that. And you're questioning why the public loved this song and loved her," he continued.

While major producers and cultural critics persist in their skepticism, Braun concluded his message with unmistakable clarity, "She was number one in the public vote and number two overall in the competition. And I would just say being number one by the public is the most important thing," he clarified, "So stop questioning her and question your own taste. Because the public spoke and you should listen to them. And a new day will rise."

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Sánchez accused the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes Eurovision, of "double standards" for allowing Israel to compete while continuing to bar Russia, which was banned from the contest following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. "Israel should not be allowed to participate either, because double standards in culture cannot be tolerated," he said.

The Spanish prime minister has recently intensified his criticism of Israel, going as far as accusing it of committing "genocide" during a parliamentary debate last week.

Spain's outcry comes in the wake of Israel's second-place finish in the Eurovision final, where its contestant, Yuval Raphael, won the most votes from the public. Austria claimed the top spot and will host the competition next year.

The European Broadcasting Union has continued to defend Israel's participation, noting that its public broadcaster, Kan, remains a member of the EBU. Russia's state broadcasters, on the other hand, were expelled from the organization in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Spain's public broadcaster RTVE has called on the EBU to investigate the Spanish public's voting results, after Israel's representative received the country's highest public vote tally.

Joining the backlash is Erika Vikman, who represented Finland in the contest. Speaking after her performance, Vikman said, "I read today that Israel received a lot of votes from the public – that's not fair."

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The Spanish Broadcasting System announced it would appeal to the European Broadcasting Union to review the song contest's voting system, with specific focus on audience voting procedures. While professional judges awarded Raphael just 60 points, audience votes catapulted the Israeli performer into second place with an impressive 297 points.

Austria, which won the overall competition, experienced the opposite scenario – dominating the judges' vote but receiving fewer than 200 points from audience members.

Spanish officials, whose contestant finished in 24th place with only 10 audience points, argue that public voting is unduly influenced by political and security situations. They specifically cited Ukraine and Israel as examples of countries engaged in prolonged military conflicts that "profit" from audience sympathy votes.

The European Broadcasting Union has not yet responded to Spain's request, according to local media reports, which also indicate that additional countries are expected to join Spain's appeal for voting reform.

To conclude with Yuval Raphael's own sentiment – Am Yisrael Chai.

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