Noam Bettan in first interview after the final: "As far as I’m concerned, we won - second place is amazing"
Noam Bettan speaks for the first time after finishing second in the tense final in Vienna • "I feel proud to stand here. As far as I’m concerned, we won, especially considering our story and everything we experienced" • Israel’s representative received 220 points from the public and 123 from the judges • Bulgaria won first place and will host next year
By Elad Simchayoff and Noam Cohen
Noam Bettan, Israel’s representative at Eurovision 2026 held in Vienna, who finished in second place, spoke tonight (between Saturday and Sunday) to Israeli media outlets and shared his feelings.
Shortly after the final ended, the emotional Bettan said: "Thank you to everyone, to everyone who voted. Thank you to the audience at home who supported me for such a long time. It’s worth your support and your love. As far as I’m concerned, we won. Second place is amazing, especially considering our story, the hate, and everything we went through here – and there was quite a lot. I feel proud to stand here, and I love all of you".
Regarding the boos during the announcement of the results and the high score awarded to Israel, Noam said: "I heard the boos. We stood on the couch, raised the flag, and shouted 'Am Israel Chai'. We are here to give love to those who want to receive it – those who are willing to accept it. I’m not fighting for anything; I came here to spread love".
He added: "If there’s one message I can bring, I hope we managed to bring hope. I imagine there’s some kind of unity in the air. I want to ask everyone, and myself as well, to do good".
Yoav Tzafir, the delegation's director, was also interviewed and said: "I'm proud of Noam. He's a true prince. Finishing second twice is unbelievable. For anyone who knows a bit of Eurovision history - this is a crazy reenactment of 1982 and 1983. Avi Toledano came in second place with 'Hora', and then composed Ofra Haza's 'Chai'. Yuval Raphael came in second place in 2025, and she wrote the song 'Michelle'. It’s a huge achievement for Noam. Many singers from other countries are hugging him, and the judges embraced him as well. He received many points from judges who are not easy to impress".
After an especially tense announcement of the voting results, Israel achieved an enormous accomplishment, finishing in second place for the second consecutive year. The audience at home awarded 220 points to the Israeli entry, while the judges gave it 123 points. Bulgaria won first place in the competition and will host Eurovision next year.