A call made by this year's Eurovision Song Contest winner JJ for Israel to be excluded next year is his own opinion, a spokesman for Austria's ORF public broadcaster said in Vienna on Thursday. The music and its artistic presentation were the priority for Eurovision,

The winner of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest is speaking out against the war in Gaza and Israel’s inclusion in the global music event. JJ, who won the competition May 17, said in an interview published Thursday (May 22) that he would like to see Israel banned from next year’s contest.

With his countertenor voice (the highest range among men), the young singer, whose real name is Johannes Pietsch, took home the glass microphone trophy for Austria.