Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulates Noam Bettan for his second-place finish at last night’s Eurovision, saying the whole country is “very, very proud of you.”
“Noam, what an incredible victory, what an achievement — and how much honor, strength, confidence and artistry,” Netanyahu tells Bettan in a phone conversation released by his office.
“You are on a very great path. You have the appreciation of the entire country. Everyone is very, very proud of you. And you also stood strong against those hollow verbal slingshots,” Netanyahu says, referring to anti-Israel chanting during the semifinal and some booing heard last night.
“There were quite a few of those,” Bettan agrees.
The singer thanks Netanyahu for his support, and says “it was a great privilege to bring honor and represent us in a positive light, and to bring light and a little goodness into this world.”
Bettan says he felt a lot of unity among Israelis last night, “and I really hope it stays with us — in two days, in a year, and in 50 years.”
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From the Liveblog of
Sunday, May 17, 2026
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