Tensions and pro-Palestinian slogans accompanied the first semi-final night of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, where Israel's representative, Noam Bettan, performed the song "Michelle." During the 28-year-old artist's performance on stage at the festival in Vienna, the audience heard anti-Israel chants, including the slogan "Stop the genocide," while another part of the audience chanted the singer's name in support of him.
The slogans were also broadcast live on Greek public television, while Austrian broadcaster ORF stated that it would not intervene to silence public reactions to the competitors.
A pro-Palestinian protester was reportedly arrested inside the arena during the performance, although authorities did not provide further details about the incident. In a statement after the show, the European Broadcasting Union said a person near the audience microphones had repeatedly shouted political slogans both before Israel entered the stage and during the performance. “He was later removed by security because he continued to disturb the audience. Three other people were also removed from the arena for the same reason,” the organizers said in a statement.
Despite the tensions, Israel managed to qualify for the Eurovision grand final, along with nine other countries. The atmosphere of the festival has been dominated this year by political debates and reactions to Israel's military operations in Gaza. According to reports, five countries have boycotted this year's edition of the contest, among them Ireland, one of the most successful countries in Eurovision history with seven victories.
