POLL: Should Israel be allowed to compete in Eurovision?
The country's act was booed by the crowd
Israel has made it through to the final of the Eurovision Song Contest, despite loud boos and chants from the crowd during Tuesday night’s semi-final. Israeli entrant Noam Bettan secured enough public votes to qualify for Saturday’s grand final in Vienna, Austria, but his performance sparked controversy inside the arena.
During quieter moments of his song, some audience members could reportedly be heard booing and chanting "Stop the genocide" amid ongoing anger over Israel’s occupation in Gaza. The contest has faced mounting political tension this year, with several countries boycotting Eurovision entirely over Israel’s inclusion.
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Ireland, Spain and Slovenia have all refused to take part or broadcast the final, while Iceland and the Netherlands opted not to send acts to compete.
Despite the backlash, Bettan thanked the audience after his performance and advanced alongside Moldova, Sweden, Croatia, Greece, Finland, Belgium, Lithuania, Poland and Serbia.
The controversy surrounding Israel’s participation has dominated discussion around this year’s competition, particularly after Russia was banned from Eurovision following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Critics have questioned why Israel remains in the contest despite the ongoing massacre in Gaza.
The European Broadcasting Union has also reportedly issued a formal warning to the Israeli delegation after Bettan was filmed encouraging supporters to use all 10 available votes for his entry in multiple languages online.
Eurovision director Martin Green confirmed organisers contacted Israel’s broadcaster and asked for the promotional videos to be removed immediately.
Last year’s Israeli entrant, Yuval Raphael, topped the public vote before eventually finishing runner-up after jury scores were added.
Protests have continued throughout Eurovision week in Vienna, with demonstrations taking place across the Austrian capital calling for Israel’s exclusion from the competition.
Now Express readers can have their say. Should Israel be allowed to compete in Eurovision? Vote in our poll below.
