Israel’s Eurovision representative, Noam Bettan, took the stage in Vienna for a crucial jury rehearsal ahead of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest semifinal on Tuesday night.
He delivered what onlookers called a confident and emotional performance of his song, “Michelle.”
While audiences across Europe will watch the semifinal live, for Bettan, the competition effectively began on Monday.
Professional juries in 15 countries watched and scored the rehearsal in real time. The points awarded at this performance make up 50% of the score that will determine whether Israel advances to Saturday night’s final.
The Israeli delegation told KAN 11 that Bettan gave one of his finest performances of the song so far, just the kind of rendition that impresses juries.
Bettan's performance features dynamic visuals
Centered on a large rotating structure that resembled a huge diamond, the staging also worked smoothly.
Bettan performs inside the structure with dancer Lihi Freud, and the staging creates a dynamic visual effect using mirrors and poses.
In the Eurovision press room, foreign viewers appeared to enjoy the performance and predicted that Bettan would do well in the competition, although Finland and Greece remain the two favorites.
Bettan will now have time to rest before the semifinal, when viewers across the world will be able to vote. Their votes will be combined with the jury scores from Monday to determine whether “Michelle” will be performed again on Saturday in the final.
This strong rehearsal came as Israel’s participation in this year’s Eurovision has been accompanied by a wave of political controversy and anti-Israel activism.
The Diaspora Affairs and Combatting Antisemitism Ministry said on Monday that it had identified what it called a sharp rise in antisemitic and anti-Israel discourse surrounding the contest.
It warned about potential incidents of incitement and antisemitism around the song contest.
The event coincides with Nakba Day, a date traditionally associated with pro-Palestinian demonstrations worldwide.
According to the ministry, some 39,500 antisemitic posts have been recorded on X/Twitter in Austria alone.
Targeted pressure on artists, visual propaganda, and organized demonstrations are part of what the ministry described as a wide-ranging campaign against Israel’s participation in Eurovision.
Per the ministry’s report, messages being circulated include extreme rhetoric that promotes calls for a boycott and portrays Israel’s participation as illegitimate.
Although only five countries – Spain, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Iceland – have withdrawn from the competition because of Israel’s participation, the ministry said efforts are continuing to encourage additional governments to boycott the event.
Diaspora Affairs and Combatting Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli said the online campaign was attempting “to brand Eurovision as ‘Genovision’ – an event that supposedly ‘conceals’ the invented Israeli ‘genocide.’”
“This, combined with the fact that the contest is taking place at the same time as the false ‘Nakba Day,’ not only raises the risk level but also draws a direct line, both ironic and sad, that testifies to the grave situation in Europe, where even an event like this becomes a stage for the lies of radical Islam, which threatens the continent,” Chikli said.