According to The Guardian, Austria's 24-year-old Eurovision winner, Johannes Pietsch, better known by his stage name JJ, has ignited a political firestorm after calling for Israel to be excluded from next year's song contest in Vienna.

Government social media accounts and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined a drive to encourage people to vote for Israel’s entrant.

Austria won its third Eurovision Song Contest after a glittering grand final in neighboring Switzerland, with singer JJ earning the continent’s votes for the operatic pop anthem “Wasted Love.”