As Israeli contestant Noam Bettan took the stage in Vienna, the whistles from the crowd were almost as loud as the music. This year’s Eurovision has become the contest’s most politically charged in history, with a record five countries withdrawing in protest and security forces on high alert following anti-Israel demonstrations across the Austrian capital.
Five nations stage historic boycott
The 70th Eurovision Song Contest is taking place at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria. This year’s event features representatives from just 35 countries – the smallest number of participants since 2003.
Five nations – Ireland, Iceland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovenia – have withdrawn from the competition in protest at Israel’s inclusion amid the ongoing war in Gaza, marking the largest boycott in Eurovision history.
Anti-Israel demonstrations have taken place on the streets of Vienna, prompting heightened security measures at the stadium. Austrian authorities have deployed extremism response officers, drones, bomb-sniffing dog units, and public order squads. The security presence was especially noticeable during the performance of Israeli artist Noam Bettan, with audience members chanting “Stop the genocide!” and waving Palestinian flags during the live broadcast. Bettan has since complained that his team was booed during rehearsals.
Israel was among the ten semi-finalists – alongside Greece, Finland, Belgium, Sweden, Moldova, Serbia, Croatia, Lithuania, and Poland – to successfully advance to Saturday’s grand final. Portugal, Georgia, Montenegro, Estonia, and San Marino have been eliminated.
Fresh scandal: Israel’s €1m Eurovision campaign spend
Another controversy has emerged following an investigation by The New York Times, reported by The Journal, which revealed that the Israeli government has spent at least $1 million on Eurovision-related voting advertising campaigns over the past two years.
In a further awkward moment, an expletive slipped out during the performance of Poland’s entry, prompting British host Angela Scanlon to step in and apologise on behalf of her Austrian colleagues, Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrovsky. “I do apologise to everyone at home if you heard a bit of sweary language. It’s live TV, isn’t it?” she said. “What did I say?” asked her co-host Rylan Clark. “Not you… live from Austria… they’ve got a little bit overexcited,” Angela replied. “Let them have their fun,” Rylan added.
