Against the boos: Israel advances to Eurovision final

Israel’s Noam Bettan advanced to the Eurovision grand final after performing “Michelle” in Vienna despite anti-Israel chants of “stop the genocide” echoing through the arena.

Bettan said he heard the boos but drew strength from pro-Israel supporters in the crowd, adding that during the Hebrew portion of the song he felt he was “singing to Israel.”

“Michelle,” performed in Hebrew, French, and English, was co-written by last year’s Israeli Eurovision star Yuval Raphael, who joined Bettan for a duet during the song’s official presentation ahead of the contest.

This year’s Eurovision has been overshadowed by intense controversy over Israel’s participation, including boycott calls, protests, and demands from several countries to expel Israel from the competition.