Austria’s 2025 Eurovision champion JJ has joined the growing chorus of artists and public figures demanding Israel’s exclusion from the next edition of the international song contest, citing the ongoing atrocities in Gaza as grounds for disqualification.

In a candid interview with El Pais, the 24-year-old singer expressed disappointment over Israel’s continued presence in Eurovision despite its military campaign in the besieged Gaza Strip.

"It's very disappointing to see Israel still participating in the competition. I would like Eurovision to be held in Vienna next year and without Israel. But the ball is in the EBU's court. We, the artists, can only raise our voices on the matter," said JJ, whose real name is Johannes Pietsch.

JJ secured victory with his pop-operatic ballad Wasted Love, narrowly defeating Israel’s Yuval Raphael, who came in second.

But the political undertones of this year’s contest have overshadowed the music, as global outrage mounts over the death toll in Gaza—where over 53,000 Palestinians, the majority women and children, have been killed since Israel launched its assault in October 2023.

Israel’s participation has come under intense scrutiny from both the public and officials. Even Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has criticized what he sees as hypocrisy in international cultural platforms.

“Nobody was up in arms when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began three years ago and [Russia] had to leave international competitions and could not take part, as we have just seen, in Eurovision,” Sánchez stated at a press conference. “Therefore Israel shouldn't either, because what we cannot allow is double standards in culture.”

The controversy has ignited calls for accountability from within the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the contest’s governing body. Multiple national broadcasters—including Spain’s RTVE, Ireland’s RTÉ, Belgium’s VRT, and Finland’s Yle—have raised concerns over the voting process and Israel’s inclusion, with RTVE even requesting a full audit of the televoting system.

JJ echoed these concerns, saying there should be “greater transparency on the issue of televoting.” Reflecting on this year’s contest, he added: “This year it was all very strange,” and emphasized that reforms are necessary. “Especially, [Eurovision] needs to make changes in terms of the voting system and who participates in the festival,” he told El Pais.