Performing during protests was the name of the game for Noam Bitan in Vienna.
Rehearsals for the Eurovision Song Contest typically feature elaborate choreography and intense pyrotechnics, staples of the song’s annual extravaganza.
But for Israeli performer Noam Bitan, a completely different element was key to his preparations: simulating booing and heckling.
The 28-year-old artist — born in Israel to French immigrant parents — has been rehearsing for the past few months with all kinds of noises intentionally interrupting his performance, according to a person familiar with his protocols who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press. The goal is to develop a sense of unpredictability through any possible diversion, depending on the person, while also maintaining enough spontaneity that the performance does not become robotic.
Petain is expected to face all those distractions when he performs his hit song “Michel” in the final in Vienna on Saturday.
Boycotts have been a constant feature when Israel performs at Eurovision since October 7, 2023 and the Israeli war on Gaza that followed. 2024 contestant Eden Gollan, who had to travel with an extensive security convoy as she moved through the streets of Malmö, was met with boos as she performed at the ceremony. Last year’s singer, Yuval Rafael, a survivor of the Nova massacre, faced boos and chants of “Free Palestine” during her runner-up performance of “A New Day Will Rise” in Basel, while two would-be attackers rushed onto the stage at the end of the show before being intercepted by security. One crew member was struck by paint that appeared to be destined for Rafael.
Bitan’s semifinal match on Tuesday saw some booing and at least one “Free Palestine” heckler when Bitan began singing his defiant love song, which was picked up by Internet sleuths listening to cell phone recordings, but not picked up by the official broadcast.
In fact, ORF, the Austrian broadcaster broadcasting the show, has decided not to officially use so-called anti-booing technology for home viewers, which was in place the last time Vienna hosted the contest eleven years ago. During this broadcast, Russian singer Polina Gagarina faced booing while performing a year after the outbreak of war in eastern Ukraine. No jeering is heard at home thanks to sound selection technology that replaces booing with artificial cheers.
Anti-booing technology is controversial. Critics say their use distorts the reality of performance, but supporters believe the technology discourages disruption.
Saturday’s performance, where Israel will attempt to win Eurovision for the fifth time in history (odds are the fifth country out of 25 currently), is likely to bring more such unrest. Bitan’s performance on Tuesday also included a chant, “Stop Genocide,” chanted by someone in the audience at the beginning of the show. They were removed along with three other people for alleged “disruptive behaviour”.
Pétain, who also traveled around Eurovision with a security convoy, later said in a video that he used his anti-booing technique during the semi-final. “I heard boos, but then quickly, I heard calls from people on our side who were making noise and picking me up. That immediately lifted my spirits and warmed my heart.”
He even said in the room: “Thank you Europe, I love you.”
However, the relationship can be complicated: according to a number of influencers, “Michelle” (co-written by Raphael and two other writers) is actually a song of separation between Israel and Europe, with Bitan, of course, who is of Western European descent, saying he loves the continent but has felt burned by it too many times.
It’s an innovative read with a surprisingly compelling textual foundation; Bittan notes in the song that he looks at Tel Aviv over the ocean and cries at the memories. The Mediterranean Sea separates Israel from Europe.
In this regard, one of the influential figures, an Israeli-American named Miriam Strauss, said that the booing is already in dialogue with Bitan.
“The booing enhances the song because of the second meaning,” she says in a YouTube post. “The feedback he gets from Europe becomes part of the song.”
British-Israeli influencer and former Israeli military spokesman Elon Levy offered similar thoughts in an Instagram post that also went viral. “This is a song about Europe’s abusive relationship with the Jewish people,” Levy said. “He should let her go even though he’s clearly not over her.”
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