Israel’s entry to the Eurovision Song Contest was briefly booed when the country surged to the top of the leaderboard on Saturday night, with the Middle East country’s participation under increased scrutiny during its wars in Gaza and Iran.
Noam Bettan ultimately finished second behind Bulgaria’s 27-year-old pop star Dara in the final count, but received a huge number of votes from the public after the jury’s verdict was announced.
Bettan’s performance in the semi-finals of the contest had been interrupted by pro-Palestinian chants, with several audience members removed from the venue in Vienna, Austria, earlier this week.
Israel has been taking part in Eurovision since 1973, but the war in Gaza from late 2023 sparked new opposition to the country’s presence at the flamboyant spectacle.
Broadcasters from Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland and the Netherlands had pulled out of Eurovision this year, making it the smallest event for more than 20 years.
Ireland’s RTÉ broadcaster said its involvement in the competition would be “unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there.”
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