Israel’s Eurovision entry advances after boos, cheers, and protest disruption

Boos, anti-Israeli slogans and chants of support collided inside Vienna’s Eurovision Song Contest arena as Noam Bettan performed for Israel, and the split reaction did not stop his entry from advancing to Saturday’s final.

Bettan moved through Tuesday’s semi-final despite the hostile noise around him. Before taking the stage, he said he would try to keep criticism as “background noise,” a line that fit a performance night in which the contest felt less like a song competition than a live referendum on whether pop culture can stay separate from geopolitics.

After the performance, the European Broadcasting Union and host broadcaster ORF said one audience member, who had been close to a microphone and loudly expressed views before and during the song, was removed by security. Three other people were also removed for disruptive behaviour. The arena scene reflected the larger tensions surrounding Israel’s participation, with some fans booing and shouting anti-Israeli slogans while others chanted Bettan’s name in support.

Eurovision’s 70th anniversary has been shadowed by backlash over Israel’s military action in Gaza, and five countries boycotted the 2026 contest, including seven-time winner Ireland. The European Broadcasting Union still describes Eurovision as its biggest live music event, but this year’s edition has shown how quickly a song contest can become a proxy battlefield over war, identity and the limits of cultural neutrality.

The dispute also reached beyond Israel’s entry. Boy George appeared as a guest performer on San Marino’s act, fronted by Senhit, a veteran Eurovision competitor, but that performance did not qualify for the final, leaving the British singer out of Saturday’s lineup. Boy George had previously said music should unite people, while also making clear that he did not feel aligned with Israel politically.

ORF and the EBU have tried to frame the contest as an open, tightly managed broadcast event, but the crowd reaction in Vienna suggested otherwise. With Bettan now through to the final, the debate over Israel’s place on the Eurovision stage is set to follow the contest through its anniversary weekend.