Israeli Eurovision contestant Noam Bettan secured his place in Saturday’s grand final following Tuesday’s semifinal performance in Vienna, though his appearance sparked both enthusiastic support and vocal opposition from audience members.
Bettan performed his entry “Michelle” as the tenth act of the evening, ultimately earning enough votes to advance alongside nine other nations: Greece, Finland, Belgium, Sweden, Moldova, Serbia, Croatia, Lithuania, and Poland.
The performance was marked by disruptions, with venue security removing multiple spectators who engaged in anti-Israel demonstrations. Local authorities escorted out one protester who yelled “genocide” during Bettan’s time on stage.
Speaking to Israeli media afterward, Bettan acknowledged the hostile reception but remained focused. “The calls were really, really loud. But I focused on the performance,” Bettan explained following his stage exit. He continued, “I searched with my eyes for the Israeli flags in the crowd. That strengthened me.”
Upon learning of his advancement to the final round, Bettan expressed gratitude to his supporters, stating he was thankful “to all the people of Israel, to all the Jews in the world, and to everyone who voted for us.”
“Wow, I had an amazing performance, I enjoyed every moment, see you in the final. I truly felt like I was singing for the State of Israel. I was simply channeling the people and felt like I was a conduit,” he added.
Meanwhile, Eurovision organizers issued a warning to Israel’s Kan public broadcaster regarding an online promotional campaign supporting Bettan, citing updated competition regulations designed to restrict external promotional efforts.
Eurovision director Martin Green revealed that officials quickly contacted the Israeli delegation after discovering online videos featuring Bettan. “Within 20 minutes, we had contacted the KAN delegation to ask them to immediately stop any distribution of the videos and remove them from any platforms where they had been published. They immediately acted to do this,” Green stated.
When questioned by The Times of Israel, Kan responded that it “is following all of the rules of the competition.” A delegation insider noted that contestants from Malta and Romania had conducted similar promotional campaigns this year.
