Protests were seen during Noam Bettan’s performance.
Noam Bettan performed his song Michelle in the first semi-final. PDO
Israel’s Eurovisa representative Noam Bettan tells BBCthat he was surprised by the protests that were seen when he appeared in the first semi-final of the competition on Tuesday.
During the artist’s performance, Palestine shouts and boos echoed in the arena. A total of four people were removed from the audience for protesting.
– I was aware of that. I heard there was booing and everything. A little shock, he says in an interview.
When asked how he prepared for the booze, Bettan replied:
– You can’t bring 13,000 people into the training room to boo. A few people on my team tried to make it difficult for me so I could train for this moment, but you can’t really prepare for this.
Despite the protests, he says that he enjoyed the performance and had a great time on stage.
– I was looking for the tickets of the people who love me and want me to succeed to the best of my ability, and that really supported me, he said.
Israeli flags were also waving in the crowd. PDO
Austrian broadcaster ORF, which hosts the Eurovision Song Contest, has announced that it will not ban Palestinian flags or censor audience boos at this year’s event. According to the BBC, the people removed from the audience on Tuesday were for more disturbing behavior.
In the first semi-final organized on Tuesday, Israel’s performance aroused strong emotions in the audience even before the song began. Some of the audience showed their support for Israel, but the broadcast also heard loud boos. After the show started, there were long shouts of Palestine from the audience in the background of Bettani’s song.
Despite the reactions, Bettan took his performance to the end. He was accompanied on stage by five background dancers and a large diamond-shaped set. The crowd waved both Israeli and Palestinian flags.
Israel’s participation in the competition has been the subject of intense debate for three years now. Five countries have boycotted the competition in protest of Israel’s participation and criticized the country for the war in Gaza.
