President Isaac Herzog speaks to Noam Bettan after he finished in an impressive second place at tonight’s Eurovision grand final, telling him he “brought honor to the people of Israel.”
“You moved us. You are simply wonderful. The performance was perfect, and you brought honor to the people of Israel,” Herzog tells him. “Your composure and calm on stage — great job.”
Herzog adds that during this “complex period” for the country, Bettan “added tremendously to the good name of the State of Israel around the world.”
Bettan tells the president that he knows “how much effort you invested to make this Eurovision happen, and I thank you for everything. It gave the people of Israel a lot of hope, and personally, it gave me a major and meaningful opportunity.”
Herzog was involved in diplomatic efforts to keep Israel in the contest, including meeting last year with the director of host Austria’s public broadcaster ORF.
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From the Liveblog of
Saturday, May 16, 2026
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