Israel advances to Eurovision grand final despite anti-Israel chanting during song

Amy Spiro is a reporter and writer with The Times of Israel

Noam Bettan from Israel performs the song 'Michelle' during the first semifinal of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, May 12, 2026. (Alma Bengtsson/EBU)
Noam Bettan from Israel performs the song 'Michelle' during the first semifinal of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, May 12, 2026. (Alma Bengtsson/EBU)

Israel’s Noam Bettan advances to the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna after scoring enough points at tonight’s semifinal.

Bettan performed “Michelle” in French, Hebrew and English over the sounds of “stop the genocide” chanting in the Wiener Stadthalle in the Austrian capital, which could be heard on the live broadcast at the start of the song.

According to the local Österreich newspaper, two people who were interrupting the broadcast were physically removed from the arena by security.

The Kan public broadcaster said that after exiting the stage, Bettan said: “I didn’t let the boos bother me, I focused on the Israeli flags.”

The results were decided by a combination of jury votes and public votes from each country. The European Broadcasting Union does not release the full breakdown until after the grand final.

Most Popular
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
Join The Times of Israel Community
Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Confirm Mail
Thank you! Now check your email
You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.