Eurovision’s foreign policy lessons for Israel

Immediately after Yuval Raphael’s impressive second-place finish at the Eurovision song contest, the Israeli media took a deep dive trying to understand how the public in so many countries gave her top score, given the conventional wisdom that Europe (and the world!) is against us. So many theories: the right wing, the Jewish communities, a pushback to Muslims immigration, even absurd jokes about a cyber campaign. It was noted that Raphael won the popular vote by a landslide, while the professional judges placed her in 14th place.

It’s all silly. Raphael received the highest popular support from around Europe, with 12 countries plus the “rest of the world” voters giving her “douze points,” because she was excellent. Fans from countries with complicated diplomatic relations with Israel, such as Spain and Sweden, and friendly countries such as Azerbaijan and Germany all loved her. She sang beautifully, had a positive, optimistic message and a wonderful, human story. To me, her call to “don’t cry alone” is the answer for much more than a pop music contest but might even somehow be a lesson for a different approach to Israeli foreign policy.

When Israel is excellent, creative and engaging, we win and are embraced globally. There are dozens of examples. Israeli tech companies Wiz and Waze were bought for billions of dollars by Google, Mellanox became the tech inside of Nvidia, and Mobileye was purchased by Intel. In sports, Devi Avdija has become a basketball star for the Portland Trail Blazers, and Footballer Manor Solomon is taking huge strides as a winger helping Leeds United return to England’s Premier League. We even have cinema superheroes: Gal Gadot is DC’s Wonder Woman, and Shira Haas is Marvel’s Sabra. And of course, Israel has won Eurovision four times since 1978 and has now finished second three times.

When we say no, no, no, and insist only on force and more force, we cry alone. US President Donald Trump’s trip last week to the Middle East, seemingly engaging every leader in the region except for Israel, is a case in point. Trump and his government, like leaders around the world, have run out of patience with Benjamin Netanyahu and his government finding problems and not solutions. Interacting with the new leaders in Syria? “No, they are terrorists.” Negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran? “No, they are dangerous radicals.” A hostage deal and ending the war in Gaza – “No, only absolute victory.”

The no’s extend deep into domestic policy, too: no to a commission of inquiry about the failures of 7 October 2023, no to respecting our own Supreme Court, no to drafting ultra-Orthodox into the military, no to taking responsibility for mistakes or showing empathy.

What do all these regional no’s have in common? On the one hand, there is more than a grain of truth in each of the dangers. It is true that our neighborhood is dangerous and scary. The October 7 massacres scarred Israel’s military deterrence and destroyed the lives of thousands of families. Israel has relearned the lesson that we may need to be ready to protect ourselves for the long term. On the other hand, all of the no’s have rejected any compromise, any diplomacy, any acceptance of responsibility as national leaders, as a country, as an ally.

President Trump and leaders in the region and around the world are sending Israel a clear message – engage with us constructively or we will move on. If Israel is not able to focus creatively, or even find a base for compromise, on tough issues like Syria or Iran or the future of Gaza, other countries will. If Israel refuses to engage with our Palestinian neighbors, France or Saudi Arabia might look in other directions. Courts in the Hague or UN bodies in New York or Geneva might fill the gap. And our hostages – and they are our responsibility – continue to be endangered every day.

There has been some talk in Israel that somehow Israel is no longer relevant. That is not my impression. Leaders around the world understand that Israel has and can be a vital partner in so many areas. But if Netanyahu is more concerned with the survival of his coalition, delaying his criminal court case, speaking only to his political base than actual diplomacy and leading Israel to a new path, the world will conclude that it has no choice but to move on.

Israel desperately needs to turn the page. There are 58 Israeli hostages, living and dead, who need to be brought home NOW. The social contract between Israel’s government and our people must be rewritten – fresh elections is a first step. Our economy needs to be rebuilt from tourism to tech. Residents from our southern and northern borders must rebuild their homes and lives. We can refocus and deepen relations with countries around our region and around the world that can offer Israel a wide range of benefits and opportunity.

Thank you for bringing us so much pride, Yuval. And thank you for the important reminders: That Israel is a source of limitless excellence and creativity; that we can open our hearts to friends around the world and feel love back; that we need to ignore the noise of those who want to sideline us. We must look forward and engage with friends and foes around the world. And in the end, we can be sure that “a new day will rise, life will go on, everyone cries, don’t cry alone.”