Israel’s entry for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest was unveiled Thursday, amid lingering controversy over the country’s participation in the competition during its ongoing war with Iran and months of disputes tied to the war in Gaza.
The song, titled “Michelle,” will be performed by singer Noam Bettan on the Eurovision stage in Vienna in May. It was written by last year’s Israeli Eurovision representative, Yuval Raphael, together with songwriters Tzlil Kalifi and Nadav Aharoni.
The song and its official music video were revealed during a broadcast on public broadcaster Kan 11.
Bettan is scheduled to perform the song in the competition’s first semifinal on May 12. If he advances, he will compete again in the final on May 16.
Israel’s participation in the contest has been surrounded by significant controversy in recent months. Several countries threatened to boycott the competition over Israel’s inclusion following the war in Gaza.
The European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the contest, faced pressure from major participating countries including Spain and the Netherlands.
In the end, the EBU made several rule adjustments that were seen by some observers as affecting Israel’s chances. Among the changes were a reduction in the influence of audience televoting during the semifinals and a greater role for professional juries.
During the dispute, Israel received strong backing from host country Austria as well as from Germany, one of the most influential members of the broadcasting union. Israeli officials and broadcasters also worked intensively to secure the country’s participation, including efforts led by President Isaac Herzog and Golan Yochpaz.
Despite the rule changes, several countries remained opposed to Israel’s participation. The Netherlands and Spain ultimately withdrew from the competition, joined by Iceland, Ireland and Slovenia.