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Israel's Eurovision entry 'shocked' by protests during semi-final show

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Israel’s Eurovision act was left shaken after pro-Palestinian protests interrupted the semi-final performance in Vienna, with chants, boos, and security removals reported during the live show.

What happened

The Israeli entrant, Noam Bettan, was performing at the Wiener Stadthalle when parts of the crowd reacted with boos and chants including “stop the genocide” and “Free Palestine.”
Reports say one audience member near a microphone was removed, and additional disruptive spectators were also escorted out by security.

Why it drew attention

The disruption happened against the backdrop of ongoing controversy over Israel’s participation in Eurovision amid the Gaza war, with several countries reportedly boycotting the event this year.
The protests turned the performance into one of the contest’s most politicized moments, with the reaction audible in the live broadcast

Singer’s reaction

According to reports, Bettan said he was surprised by the scale of the protests but kept singing through the disturbance.
He also said he focused on the supporters in the venue and tried to stay composed while the performance continued.

Israel’s Eurovision entry was “shocked” after his semi-final performance in Vienna was disrupted by loud protests and chants from parts of the audience. The incident, which was audible during the live broadcast, led to several spectators being removed from the venue as security stepped in. The reaction came amid wider controversy over Israel’s participation in the contest during the Gaza war.

Noam Bettan was met with a mixture of cheering, boos and chants as he performed in Vienna on Tuesday night.

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