Eurovision Song Contest

On one of the bathroom walls, the phrases "Free Palestine," "Death to the IDF," and "Boycott Israel" were written.

Bettan performed inside a rotating structure with dancer Lihi Freud, and the staging creates a dynamic visual effect using mirrors and poses.

Last year in Basel, a man got as close as he could to Yuval Raphael, the Israeli contestant, and mimed slitting her throat.

At the same time, Austrian police said they were preparing for a week of heightened security both before and during the event.  

Noam Bettan rehersed his song "Michelle," to be performed at the Eurovision semifinals, and showed off the new costumes for himself and the backup dancers.

The 70th Eurovision Song Contest will begin with the first semifinal on May 12, in which Israel will participate; the final will be on May 16.

French featured in many early winners. Since the early 1990s, it has been associated with entries finishing further down the table.

Bettan, who is representing Israel with the upbeat song, was filmed dancing to excerpts from Israel’s four winning Eurovision songs before bursting into a few bars of the 2026 song.

Over 1,000 entertainment industry leaders sign letter backing Israel’s inclusion in Eurovision, rejecting boycott efforts and emphasizing music’s unifying power.

The Eurovision Fun website reported that Spain’s public broadcaster, RTVE, had announced it would not air the song contest for the first time since the country began participating in 1961.