Noam Bettan takes Israel through to Eurovision final
Singer is 'very, very honoured to represent Israel' with a love song called Michelle
Eurovision is, at its core, a competition that brings people from around the world together.
For the past two years, Israeli musicians have often found themselves at the centre of a storm, boycotted and harassed whenever and wherever they try to perform. And nowhere has this been seen more starkly than at Eurovision. There have been protests against the Israeli artists, with Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia saying that they will not take part this year if Israel does, citing both the war in Gaza and allegations of unfair voting.
Undeterred, Noam Bettan took the stage for Israel last night for the Eurovision semis with his song Michelle and got through to Saturday’s final. Bettan is a French Israeli who has built up an impressive music career writing, composing and performing for the past eight years. Dressed in black leather, he performed last night inside a large golden diamond, surrounded by female dancers in black and white bodysuits and white boots.
He first gained national recognition when he enjoyed a breakout hit with the song Buba (Doll). It went viral and topped Israeli radio and streaming charts. On the back of that, in 2023, he released his debut album Me’al HaMayim (Above the Water).
Bettan told Jewish News that he is inspired by music from around the world. “I really like French music, I like music in English, I like music in Hebrew, I can listen to Portuguese music. I can listen to everything that sounds good to me and makes me feel good,” he says.
The musician came through a competition called Next Star to earn the opportunity to represent his country. “I’m proud of myself and I should say it more to myself,” he confides, adding that he also feels “very, very honoured to represent Israel.”
Bettan describes Michelle as “a love song”. The track “talks about choosing yourself,” adds the singer. “The main message conveyed in Michelle is to learn to choose yourself.”
Kan, the country’s public broadcaster, is responsible for choosing Israel’s entry. It was not a foregone conclusion that Israel would be able to put perform this year. In December, Kan’s CEO Golan Ychpaz and representative Ayala Mizrachi headed to Geneva for the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) assembly. EBU runs Eurovision. There, it was decided that Israel would be allowed to take part, despite the protestations of others.
In 2024, Israel’s Eden Golan came fifth at Eurovision with Hurricane (the name had to be changed from October Rain to meet Eurovision rules around political entries). This was followed up last year with a second place finish for Israel’s Yuval Raphael with New Day Will Rise.
However, a different approach has been taken this time around, and Bettan is happy with the choice. “I think after a lot of ballads the people wanted something that’s… gonna make you dance and gonna make you happy… you have to move and to dance,” he says.
Michelle is certainly more upbeat than the tracks from the past couple of years, but it’s not a straight up pop banger or a novelty entry – it’s a bit more sophisticated than that. Bettan moves seamlessly between singing in Hebrew, French and English, backed up by a catchy chorus and a classic late key change. It is theoretically the type of song that should get a good result at Eurovision. But the reality is likely to be more complicated than that.
Everyone would just like to focus on the party, not the politics. Bettan insists “I’m not here to talk about anything other than music”. To drown out the noise, he centres on the process of rehearsals and preparation. “I’m surrounded by amazing people,” he says. “You have Kan, you have the Next Star crew, and you have my own crew from back home who are walking this path with me for like eight years now and know me from head to toe.” It’s clear he is determined not to let anyone down on the night.
Bettan is well aware of the complexities of representing Israel at Eurovision but he wants to move things in a positive direction. “I think we had some challenging times in Israel. We all know that,” he says. “We just want to be happy, to smile, to enjoy. I have a chance to spread love and light people and give hope to people and give an amazing moment to make them feel like they’re not alone.”
There is still a cloud of conflict in the Middle East. Israeli artists may still have to perform amidst a backlash. But for Noam Bettan and Israel, it is time to dance again at Eurovision.
Eurovision is on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer at 8pm on 12, 14 and 16 May
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