Israel has navigated its way to the grand finale of the Eurovision Song Contest with the heartfelt pop ballad "Michelle," delivered by 28-year-old Noam Bettan. However, the festive atmosphere of the competition has been marred by a controversy surrounding Israel's military actions in Gaza, leading to a boycott of the 2026 event by five countries, including Ireland, a seven-time winner.
During Tuesday's semi-final, Bettan received a mixed reception. A few audience members booed and shouted anti-Israeli slogans, while others chanted his name in support. Prior to the show, the singer told the Jerusalem Post that he was determined to focus solely on the music and ignore any criticisms, treating them as "background noise."
The negative reaction to Bettan's performance was clearly audible during the TV broadcast, as the Austrian broadcaster ORF, which is hosting the event, announced that it would not censor any protests or negative reactions to any of the contestants.
In a statement after the show, ORF and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the organizers of Eurovision, said that one audience member had been "close to a microphone" and "loudly expressed their views" both before Israel took the stage and during their performance. "They were later removed by security for continuing to disturb the audience," the statement said. "Three other people were also removed from the arena by security for disruptive behavior."
The semi-final, held at Vienna's Wiener Stadhalle, saw 10 countries qualify for Saturday's grand finale. Among them were Finnish duo Pete Parkonnen and Linda Lampenius, whose passionate love song "Liekinheitin (Flamethrower)" is currently the favorite to win. However, there was disappointment for British star Boy George. The Culture Club singer appeared as a guest performer on San Marino's entry, which failed to survive Tuesday's vote.
