Eurovision: Israel takes second place at song contest behind Bulgaria in first
In protest of Israel's participation, Spanish broadcaster RTVE briefly blacked out its screen and with a slide that read “Eurovision is a competition, but human rights are not.”
Israeli singer Noam Bettan delivered a standout performance at the Eurovision 2026 Grand Final in Vienna, earning second place with his song “Michelle.” The competition was won by Bulgaria, marking the country’s first-ever Eurovision victory.
Bettanreceived enthusiastic support from the audience during his performance, which was met with loud applause inside the arena. While a small number of Palestinian flags were visible in the crowd, the Israeli representative was largely welcomed warmly by attendees.
Ahead of the final, Bettan and the Israeli delegation completed an important jury rehearsal on Friday night. The rehearsal played a significant role in determining 50% of the overall Eurovision score.
During the voting phase, Israel initially ranked eighth with the jury vote, collecting 123 points. However, strong audience support helped lift the country to second place overall by the end of the night.
Following the results, Israeli President Isaac Herzog congratulated Bettan on his achievement, praising both his performance and the positive representation of Israel on the international stage. "You moved us. You are simply wonderful. The performance was perfect and you brought honor to the people of Israel. Your calm and composure on stage were extraordinary, well done, really. Go from strength to strength," the President said.
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Earlier in the evening, betting markets had placed Israel among the favorites in the public vote after Bettan's successful live performance.
The Eurovision final also included political tensions surrounding Israel’s participation. Spanish public broadcaster RTVE issued a message calling for “peace and justice for Palestine” as the Eurovision 2026 final got underway on Saturday night. The broadcaster briefly blacked out its screen and displayed a statement in both Spanish and English reading: “Eurovision is a competition, but human rights are not.”
RTVE said the message was a protest against the European Broadcasting Union decision not to exclude Israel from the contest amid the ongoing war in Gaza. Spain, one of Eurovision's 'Big 5' boycotted the contest because of Israel's participation. Despite the controversy, Bettan's performance of “Michelle” became one of the night’s most talked-about moments, earning Israel one of its strongest Eurovision finishes in recent years.
Last year, Israel also finished in second place from Yuval Raphael's preformance of “New Day Will Rise."