He faced boos so loud during his final dress rehearsal they could be heard in the official audio recordings, but Noam Bettan showed exactly what Israeli and Jewish spirit is all about — light, love and rising above — securing second place at the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna.
For Israeli viewers, it felt like Eurovision 2025 all over again, with Bettan sitting in the lead right up until the final votes were revealed, handing Bulgaria the overall win.
Performing ‘Michelle’, a trilingual ballad combining Hebrew, French and English, Bettan delivered a classic Eurovision spectacle. A mirrored diamond dominated the centre of the stage, with skilled dancers moving around him at every turn. As he finished his grand final performance, Bettan addressed the crowd with a heartfelt message: “Thank you, Europe, toda raba. I love you all. Am Yisrael Chai.”
In a video message after coming off stage, Bettan admitted he was feeling the weight of the moment.
“I’m much more excited than the previous times. I felt good, I felt 100 times better than past performances… I had fun, we’re finally on the other side of it, after months of work, that all led us to this point.”
“I know we are united today — but tomorrow, and next year, and 50 years from now… we need to be united. That’s our nature, and we need to return to it.”
Before the public votes were announced, Bettan was sitting in a respectable eighth position. Then came the dramatic shift, with 220 points from viewers around the world propelling him into first place. The public had spoken loudly and clearly, showing overwhelming support for the Israeli singer.
In a touching display of Jewish faith, Bettan recited the shema moments before the winner was announced, before wrapping the Israeli flag around the members of his support team beside him in the Green Room.
Ultimately, however, Israel could not hold off Bulgaria, whose victory, which is the country’s first ever, came as a surprise, with bookmakers having tipped Finland, Australia or Greece as the most likely winners.
Following his second-place finish, the 28-year-old singer told Kan’s public broadcaster that “we could not have asked for a better result.”
“I tried to stay focused. I sang with joy, with a smile on my face,” he added, saying he hoped to have given Israelis “a moment of hope.”
Despite the mixed atmosphere in the arena, Bettan remained resolutely unfazed.
“There were lots of boos during the count and applause for [Bulgaria],” he said. “We look at the good. And we sing and give our love to those who want to accept it.”
He also had a message for those watching at home.
“I know we are united today — but tomorrow, and next year, and 50 years from now… we need to be united. That’s our nature, and we need to return to it.”
Once again, Israel’s participation in Eurovision was marred by controversy. This year, however, some countries went a step further, refusing to compete alongside the Jewish state. Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland and the Netherlands withdrew from the competition in protest over Israel’s inclusion, while national broadcasters in Slovenia, Ireland and Spain also refused to air the contest altogether.
Outside Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle arena, protests took place throughout Eurovision week. Inside the venue, Bettan was met with a mix of applause and boos during both his performance and the voting sequence.
Still, the Ra’anana-born singer remained calm and gracious throughout.
After the final, Bettan thanked supporters and described representing Israel on the Eurovision stage as “a great privilege”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also called to congratulate him, reportedly telling Bettan that “everyone is very, very proud of you” and praising him for standing “tall against those hollow verbal potshots”.
For Bettan, though, the night appeared to be less about politics and more about music.
The singer first captured Israeli audiences earlier this year after winning HaKokhav HaBa, the television competition that selects Israel’s Eurovision representative. Since then, ‘Michelle’ has become a fan favourite, with many drawn to its emotional tone and multilingual lyrics.
“We look at the good. And we sing and give our love to those who want to accept it.”
Fans online were quick to praise Bettan’s performance, with many Eurovision viewers describing it as one of the night’s most genuine and vocally impressive entries.
Of course, Eurovision being Eurovision, debate was never far away. Social media lit up throughout the week with arguments over whether Israel should have been allowed to compete, while others insisted the contest should remain focused on music rather than geopolitics.
The European Broadcasting Union stood by its decision to keep Israel in the competition despite mounting pressure and boycott calls in the lead-up to the final.
For many Jewish viewers around the world, Bettan’s result felt especially meaningful given the atmosphere surrounding this year’s contest.
Even before stepping onto the Eurovision stage, Bettan had faced online criticism, political commentary and intense scrutiny. But despite the noise, he kept his focus firmly on the performance and on gratitude for those supporting him.
He did, however, reveal to The Times of Israel that he had prepared for the hostility in an unusual way. By rehearsing with boos.
“I’m surrounded by an incredible team who make sure to shout boos at me during rehearsals, so I’m prepared for it,” Bettan told The Times of Israel during a video interview last month. “I feel happy and proud to represent my country in such a big competition with so many viewers.”
And in doing so, he has undoubtedly made all of Am Yisrael proud.
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