Israel has secured a spot in the Eurovision Song Contest finals, set to take place on Saturday, despite facing significant backlash from the audience. Noam Bettan, representing Israel, performed his multilingual song 'Michelle' in English, Hebrew, and French, drawing both cheers and jeers from the crowd.
Noam Bettan's Performance Amid Protests
Throughout the week, numerous protests erupted in Vienna, Austria, opposing Israel's participation in the contest. During Bettan's performance at the Wiener Stadthalle, audience members booed and chanted in disapproval. In response, the 28-year-old singer, dressed in an all-black leather outfit, acknowledged the disruption but remained focused. 'I heard the boos at the beginning,' Bettan told Y Net Global. 'They were really, really loud. But I focused on the performance.' After leaving the stage, he added, 'I searched with my eyes for Israeli flags in the audience. It strengthened me.'
Bettan was among 10 acts out of 15 to qualify for the finals, alongside Belgium, Sweden, Greece, Finland, Croatia, Lithuania, Poland, Serbia, and Moldova, according to Sky News.
About Eurovision
Eurovision is one of the world's largest music festivals, with over 35 countries competing for the title. The 2026 contest is being held in Austria, following the country's victory last year. The first semi-final took place on May 12, 2026, with the second semi-final on Thursday, May 14, 2026. The grand finale is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, 2026.
However, due to the ongoing Gaza war, five countries—Iceland, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovenia—have boycotted the event entirely. They refused to broadcast the contest and withdrew their participation one by one. This decision came after calls for Israel's exclusion from the competition were made to the Eurovision Broadcasting Union. As a result, this year's contest features the lowest number of participating countries since 2004.
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