Israel faced boos and protest chants during the semifinal of Eurovision 2026, held in Vienna, Austria, amid growing controversy surrounding the country’s participation in the contest.
Israeli singer Noam Bettan heard part of the audience shouting phrases such as “Free Palestine” and “stop the genocide” while performing the song Michelle on stage. One man was even detained by event security during the protests against the country.
Despite the negative reaction, Bettan managed to advance to the final of the Eurovision. According to the news agency Reuters, the singer later stated that he heard the boos but felt support from most of the arena during the performance.
The controversy surrounding Israel’s participation in the Eurovision intensified after Israeli public broadcaster Kan received a formal warning from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
The reason was the release of videos in which Bettan encouraged fans to use all ten allowed votes to support him in the semifinal. The organization considered the campaign incompatible with the contest’s new rules.
The 2026 edition of the Eurovision was also marked by unprecedented boycotts. Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland, and Slovenia decided not to participate in the competition in protest against Israel’s presence, citing the war in Palestine as the main reason.
Israel’s participation in the contest had already been the target of demonstrations in previous editions, but experts and European media describe the current crisis as one of the greatest political tensions ever faced by the Eurovision in its 70-year history.
🇮🇱 Eurovision just turned into a live episode of Cops.
Israel drops their song and the arena explodes with “Stop, stop the genocide” chants… then security drags a protester out in handcuffs mid-performance.
Bro came to sing one song and the entire arena turned it into a UN… pic.twitter.com/YbHdhgytNF
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 12, 2026
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Photo and video: Creative Commons / X @MarioNawfal. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
