Noam Bettan brought Michelle to the Eurovision stage with French flair and an Israeli soul, advancing to Saturday night’s final after a semifinal performance that drew cheers despite boos and chants of “genocide” from parts of the crowd.
Bettan is now considered a contender to win the contest and potentially return Eurovision to Israel in principle, though a country in a war zone would not be able to host. Director Yoav Tzafir said Bettan has what it takes. “Noam deserves to win the competition. He is the best singer here,” Tzafir said.
נועם בתן בגמר!
(Video: EBU, courtesy of Kan)
Israel’s delegation and Bettan endured several tense minutes before Israel was announced as one of the 10 countries advancing to the final. But after a poised, charismatic and precise performance, few in the delegation appeared surprised by the result.
In an interview with ynet after the semifinal, Bettan spoke about performing before the crowd, facing hostile chants and a moment before the semifinal when he allowed himself to break down in tears.
“I am happy I managed to bring joy to the country,” he said. “I enjoyed every second on stage. There were also moments that were less pleasant, like the calls from outside. But overall, I really kept my chin up and I was enjoying myself and focused. And the dancers with me on stage, it is important to say, are simply phenomenal.”
In an interview in Israel, you told me it is impossible to really prepare for boos. So there were boos and also shouts of “genocide.” What goes through your mind in those seconds? Do you shrink a little, feel hurt?
“Not hurt, but I understand, because I know it is not really directed at me, it is directed at what I represent. But yes, at the beginning, in the first second, there is a moment that is challenging, that you have to contain. Just as there is booing, a second later you have our people supporting us, who want to overcome and drown out those calls — and they give love in quantities and volumes that are unreasonable. It was simply amazing. It held me up on stage.”
You said you were looking for Israeli flags. I hope you did not have trouble finding them
“There were many flags, and it really warmed the heart. And we need to say thank you to everyone who came, who voted with their feet. It is a serious investment, and it really gave much, much strength. There was a certain moment at the end of the performance, I really shouted that moment so everyone would hear.”
Was that a tear at the end, or am I being too dramatic?
“There was great emotion at that moment, because I really felt I was singing to the people of Israel. I felt like I was directing the song to every person in the country from the heart. Everything was aimed so strongly.”
You are sitting in the green room. What goes through your mind in those minutes until you hear, ‘Israel is in the final’? Are you worried or more confident?
“I felt I gave a good performance, but still, every time they did not mention us, I had this tightness in my heart. I simply gave my 100%, and I have nothing else to give, so I accepted whatever would come. We are human beings in the end. We have many variables that put us in one state or another. So I feel that in the semifinal, I was in a good state. I am very much letting go of yesterday’s performance, because I saw that the country loves it, I saw that the country connects with it and it is getting good reactions. That calmed me very much; it really warmed my heart. Knowing that the country loves it was ultimately the most important thing for me.”
You are the country’s representative, but in the end, there is also little Noam from Ra’anana, who on Saturday will perform before 120 million people.
“And everything is possible. Listen, we had a moment in the dress rehearsal, the day before, when I felt I was suddenly overwhelmed, and I went into our room and started crying, really, really crying. I had this very big and important drop in tension. Slowly, my managers came in, and they also started crying — and suddenly there was a harmony of tears. Because all of us have worked very, very hard for many years, and it all comes down to a very big and emotional moment, and suddenly we realized that. It was a moment of processing it. It is simply amazing.”
Are you managing to please yourself as well in all of this?
“Ask my team. All along the way, not even for a second did I give up who I am. I please myself first, or at least I try to be who I am, to do what I feel comfortable with. Anything I am not at peace with, I will not do, for any price in the world. I am proud of myself for not giving up my principles.”
You can also be proud of yourself for handling the difficulties in the dress rehearsal. A dancer was injured, cameras did not work.
“There were a few things that surprised us, but in the end, when that happens right before the moment, those are good signs in my eyes. My approach is, OK, these things happen to sharpen us even more, so we arrive with extra focus. The next day, you arrive like a panther, and you simply do it, as if those were the final lessons you needed to experience. And I have to say that Lihi (Freud) went through it like a queen. She is about the most professional woman I have ever seen, phenomenal. She took a blow to the head, not a small blow, and handled it like a champion. She went up, and the entire performance, she was level.”
Is the diamond not too challenging on stage?
“We rehearsed it a great deal. We have a very experienced team in the end. We worked on it for a long time, and actually there is something there that helps me concentrate, focuses me for a moment. I am for a second with Lihi inside the diamond with the cameraman. For a moment, we unite and strengthen each other.”
How is the treatment from other delegations after the coldness toward Eden Golan and Yuval Raphael?
“There are great people, really nice people this time. The Italians come to us a lot, also the Moldovan, the representatives of Germany, Poland. There really is a very good atmosphere backstage. I feel great there. There are also amazing singers, and this fun friendship is forming. With the Moldovan, we have this especially cool connection, and we said maybe we will even do something together in the studio.”
You did many interviews abroad. Was there anything that surprised you for the worse?
“I felt I answered excellently and there was nothing that surprised us. We anticipated everything.”
The man who shouted ‘genocide’ at you was arrested. How worried are you?
“I have not disguised myself yet. Before everything, God is protecting me. I feel protected, I feel good with the Kan [public broadcaster] delegation that is surrounding me. We are amazingly surrounded and I am not worried.”