‘I don’t know what would have happened if we’d won’, says Israel’s Eurovision chief
Yoav Tsafir reflects on fears as booing became more intense as Israel came closer to winning in Vienna
The head of Israel’s Eurovision delegation has said he felt a sense of relief that Noam Bettan’s entry was pipped to the post last night amid an increasingly hostile atmosphere in the hall.
“At that moment when we led and it wasn’t clear if Bulgaria would overtake us, the booing from the crowd was immense, and I am not ashamed to say — it turned into violent booing toward the Israeli delegation,” Yoav Tsafir told Channel 12, adding: “I don’t know what would have happened if we had won”.
The director noted that until the announcement of the results, the atmosphere towards the Israeli delegation was better compared to the two previous contests. “There was a positive change, with no huge expressions of hate,” he claimed, adding that behind the scenes “there was a huge appreciation” towards Noam Bettan and his song Michelle, pointing out that even the juries awarded him with 123 points, placing him 8th.
Bulgaria’s Dara won her country’s first Eurovision title with the song Bangaranga, securing a total of 516 points, while Bettan finished in second place with 343 points. “Noam is a true professional, a strong guy with positive energy, a bit spiritual, and it all together leads to a perfect performance. We are very proud to bring joy to Israel in these days,” Tsafir said, adding that Bulgaria did a “terrific job”.
Dara stood out as one of the only Eurovision artists who publicly supported Bettan’s performance, by liking his rehearsal clip on social media and refusing to take it down despite intense pressure. During the finals, the Bulgarian delegation even asked Israeli commentators to highlight her support for him during the broadcast.
“Logically, second place is best but, in your heart, you always want to win,” Tsafir admitted, and expressed concerns regarding Israel’s ability to host the Eurovision and provide security and the future of the contest, as five countries boycotted it due to Israel’s participation. “The booing in the hall was so immense, and it symbolises something…. We must ask why [it happens]? We must tell Israel’s story better to the world,” he added.
Ynet reported that despite reports that Bulgaria may struggle to host the contest next year, Israeli officials said they do not expect the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to offer Israel the role. “The EBU can do whatever it wants, and it is not obligated to offer hosting to Israel,” one official told Ynet. “Everyone knows that at this time, hosting Eurovision in Israel would be very complicated. No one will want to get into that movie. If five countries boycotted just because of our participation, one can imagine what hosting in Israel would do.”
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