They have a sizeable group of supporters in lots of European countries that will vote on them and no one else no matter what. There's also a large group that will not vote on them no matter what, but that group splits the vote between all the other contestants. So in general, Israel benefits from the polarisation.

Sects and cults do be like that

Bribes and Android VMs?

Didnt they get second place?

Afghanistan and Iraq? Already dominating music industry? Being rubbish at languages because they all speak ours? Even in the EU, we were "Extrawurst" all the time. Denominating finance (partly with dark money).

Even before Brexit, we made ourselves unpopular.

The UK/bbc is also one of the major funders so it gets an automatic place in the final. So merit is not nessassery in the opening.