Yuval Raphael

Israel’s Eurovision contestant Noam Bettan greeted by cheering fans on turquoise carpet

Last year in Basel, a man got as close as he could to Yuval Raphael, the Israeli contestant, and mimed slitting her throat.

|ByHANNAH BROWN
Noam Bettan, representing Israel attends the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest's 'Turquoise Carpet' event in Vienna, Austria, May 10, 2026.
Noam Bettan, Israel's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, poses in this undated handout photo.

After five countries quit Eurovision over Israel, over 1,000 entertainment figures push back

Over 1,000 entertainment industry leaders sign letter backing Israel’s inclusion in Eurovision, rejecting boycott efforts and emphasizing music’s unifying power.

|ByHANNAH BROWN
People cheer as they watch the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest finals being screened at a community center in Tel Aviv, Israel, on May 17, 2025.

Eurovision Song Contest oddsmakers predict Israel will win televoting again this year

The Eurovision World website presented the oddsmakers who predict the televoting results separately from the overall results, and according to them, Israel has a 26% chance of topping the televoting.

|ByHANNAH BROWN
Noam Bettan, winner of the reality show "The Next Star" poses for a picture after winning the final in Neve Ilan, near Jerusalem, January 21, 2026.

WATCH: 'Michelle,' Israel’s Eurovision song, revealed in a performance by Noam Bettan

The song includes lyrics in Hebrew, French, and English. The lyrics were written by Nadav Aharoni, Tzlil Kalifi, and Yuval Raphael. Aharoni and Kalifi composed the music, and Aharoni is the producer.

|ByHANNAH BROWN

Yuval Raphael keeps her cool at Eurovision's turquoise carpet

Raphael, who looked lovely in a flirty light-colored minidress, carried an Israeli flag past demonstrators screaming pro-Palestine slogans.

MAY 13, 2025ByHANNAH BROWN
YUVAL RAPHAEL walks the turquoise carpet on Sunday in Basel, while pro-Palestinian protests take place