Israel celebrates Noam Bettan and his spectacular Eurovision performances

By Regan Lipes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

(AJNews) – This year marked the 70th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest. Over those seven decades of history-making music, there have been 1,831 songs performed, and Israel has brought home first place four times since first joining the Eurovision ranks in 1973. In 1978 Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta won over crowds with “A-Ba-Ni-Bi”, and a consecutive win was celebrated in 1979 with Milk and Honey’s unforgettable “Hallelujah.” Audiences were mesmerized by Dana International in 1998, and who could forget the innovative and gripping performance of Netta Barzilai in 2018!

The Eurovision Song Contest is an opportunity for nations to be united through a love of music, and celebration of artistic creativity. Inspired creators and performers come together to share their passion for music. Despite the vision of this undertaking being an artistic, and not political one, too often people can lose sight of the shared human experience in lieu of fortifying divisions. Since October 7th 2023, with rising global hostility towards Israel, even the lively and fantastically joyful Eurovision Song Contest has suffered from the malignance of antisemitism.

In Sweden, 2024, Eden Golan’s “Hurricane” may have sounded like a power-ballad to the average listener, but following the pogrom of October 7th, the lyrics “People walk away, but never say goodbye [..] Baby, promise me you’ll hold me again. I’m still broken from this hurricane,” resonated deeply. Golan, who suffered fierce animosity from audiences and fellow Eurovision contestants for being Israeli, showed the world that talent cannot be overlooked despite the rising tide of global antisemitism. She placed 5th overall, and braved vicious heckling and even outright threats of serious violence. For anyone who has ever been seized by stage-fright, the prospect of performing magnificently in spite of entire sections of the audience booing, is evidence of true artistic talent. Golan, a young solo artist, stood up in front of the world to represent her country at a time her people needed her strength most.

The following year, amidst continued backlash from extremist opponents of Israel, Yuval Raphael left the world speechless with her performance of “New Day Will Rise” written by Keren Peled and produced by Tomer Biran. Raphael, a survivor of the Nova Music Festival, is still hailed as a national hero for combating antisemitism through her art. The singer, born in Tel Aviv, lived in Switzerland for three years and brought her skills as a polyglot to her 2025 Eurovision performance. “New day will rise, life will go on/ Everyone cries, don’t cry alone/ Darkness will fade, all the pain will go by/ But wе will stay, even if you say goodbye,” were hauntingly  poignant lyrics that cut even deeper into the hearts of international audiences with the stinging knowledge of what Raphael endured.  On October 7, she, along with 50 other music festival attendees, hid in a shelter, with only 11 of them surviving camouflage by heaps of their murdered companions.  She lay motionless beneath the bodies of the dead, pretending herself to be lifeless, all while enduring the pain of a shrapnel wound.  Raphael remained like this, drenched in blood, for nearly eight hours, but her new day did rise!

She was greeted in Switzerland by anti-Israel protests and threats. Nevertheless, Raphael dazzled audiences and won the popular vote. She placed second overall, but the win might as well have been first place, because she was able to passionately give voice to all those who lost their lives on October 7 with 166 million viewers from around the world tuning in. Despite not winning the national jury votes, a reflection of geopolitical tensions, the audiences could not deny the magnitude of her talent. “New Day Will Rise” has been hailed by many across the spectrum of Jewish identity as the anthem of Israeli resilience following October 7. The popular Hasidic performer Simcha Leiner covered “New Day Will Rise,” as did noted tenor and Orthodox vocalist Shulem Lemmer to make the song accessible in religious communities as well.

On May 16, Austria’s capital, Vienna, hosted the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, marking the competition’s auspicious 70th anniversary.  Israel’s Noam Bettan, the third performance of the finals, captivated audiences with the fullness of his voice, and passion of his lyrics.  “Michelle” may have felt like a romantic song of devotion to a departed lover, but, like Golan’s “Hurricane” carried a deeper symbolic meaning.  “So I dance, dance with the pain/ You will see me laugh, laugh again/ You’re my pain, I was only a decoration/ I screamed, screamed, screamed.” Bettan, a French-speaking trilingual performer like Raphael, may sing like a scorned suiter, but Michelle, the object of his affection, could be symbolic of the connection many Israelis have with Europe.

Most of Western Europe has become a safe harbour for antisemitism and anti-Israel fanaticism – a sentiment echoed by the Anti-Defamation League stating that: “Antisemitism is nothing short of a global emergency.” Despite Israel being the homeland of the Jewish people, Europe was a long-term temporary home for many. For centuries Jewish communities helped to build and cultivate a golden age of culture and innovation for the continent. Many communities felt established and rooted within Europe for generations. While Nazi Germany and its collaborators tried to systematically wipe out the light of European Jewry, this current wave of hatred fueled by misinformation and selective media coverage, seems to strive to extinguish any lasting remnants.  “Michelle is a toxic love, I’m in the darkness/ How could you leave me in the shadows? / A star without fame, a great madwoman/I rise and fall.” The relationship of Jews within thin the European societies they found themselves settling in was never straightforward, and full of challenges, but even in the wake of the Shoah European Jewry was resilient. In late December of 2025, both The Jewish Star and The National reported that although Israelis were opting to emigrate from the country in droves, Israel had recorded a significance rise in Aliyot from Western Europe.

The song “Michelle” was co-written by Raphael, giving an added layer of significance to the lyrics conveying loss, betrayal, and abandonment. Like Raphael, Bettan won the popular vote, while Poland was the only country whose Eurovision jury awarded Israel its 12 point vote. In an astonishing, and profoundly moving display of patriotism, Bettan declared at the end of his performance, “Am Yisrael Chai” and later covered his eyes with his right hand to recite the Shema as the final winner was being announced. The world looked on, while only Jews and their allies understood the magnitude of these brave demonstrations of pride.

Bettan returned home to a hero’s welcome, and with all the celebration and attention, it would almost seem that he won first place instead of coming in second overall. Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu even called the singer to personally congratulate him, The Times of Israel reported on May 17. Bettan’s victory at the Eurovision Song Contest was not one simply for that event, but a triumph for Israel, and Jews everywhere. It takes bravery, strength of character, and personal fortitude to stand tall and proud while antisemitism flourishes malignantly, and Bettan did just that. The Alberta Jewish community congratulates Noam Bettan for representing not only Israel, but Jews everywhere. Young Jews from every country can look to his example for inspiration as they too endeavor to embrace their own identities with joy, respect, and pride. Mazel tov!