Due to the ongoing war with Iran and the security situation, KAN 11 announced that Noam Bettan’s Eurovision 2026 song reveal will be broadcast this Thursday without a studio audience and in a special format. All the broadcast details – Below.
The tense security situation and the ongoing war with Iran continue to impact Israel’s broadcasting schedule — and even Eurovision must adapt to the new reality. The Israeli national broadcaster KAN confirmed today that Israel’s song reveal for Eurovision 2026, scheduled for this Thursday, will be broadcast in a special format. Contrary to the original plans, the show will be filmed and aired without a live studio audience.
Despite the difficult circumstances and the tense atmosphere in the country, the broadcaster decided not to postpone the broadcast, aiming to offer viewers a moment of escapism, music, and national pride. During the special program on KAN 11, Noam Bettan, Israel’s representative for Eurovision 2026 and winner of “HaKokhav HaBa”, will unveil for the first time the song that will represent Israel in Vienna, Austria. The broadcast will include the premiere of the official music video, which was produced under heavy secrecy in recent weeks, along with an exclusive interview with Bettan, who will share his thoughts and emotions ahead of performing on the world’s biggest stage — a particularly complex time for the State of Israel.
Throughout the program, if necessary, the broadcast will be immediately transferred to the news studio in Jerusalem for live updates. The special show, to be aired from the Neve Ilan studios, will comply with the Home Front Command’s safety guidelines.
The song to be performed by Noam Bettan at Eurovision 2026 is titled “Michelle”. The song was selected earlier this month after a long review process of about 200 entries submitted to a professional committee that listened to them all. The song was co-written by Bettan together with Yuval Raphael, Tslil Klifi, and Nadav Aharoni. It marks a departure from recent years — not a ballad — and will feature lyrics in Hebrew, French, and English. The track will be revealed as part of the special broadcast on Channel 11 on March 5th. So, what can we expect from the show?
Special Format and Streamlined Broadcast
The broadcast will run in a special format due to the ongoing security situation. It will feature performances by Israel’s Eurovision representatives from 2024 and 2025, Eden Golan and Yuval Raphael, who will join Bettan on stage for several songs.
Who is behind Noam Bettan’s Eurovision song?
Israel’s Eurovision 2026 entry was written by Noam together with Yuval Raphael, Tslil Klifi and Nadav Aharoni – three prominent figures in the Israeli music scene, with Yuval Raphael herself having represented Israel at last year’s contest as a vocalist. Because one of the songwriters is Yuval Raphael, the committee adopted an exceptional measure: the representative of Teddy Productions recused himself from the discussion and vote on this specific song, in order to maintain transparency and avoid any conflict of interest. Noam Joined the composers after the entry selected
Yuval Raphael co‑wrote the song’s lyrics. Last year, she represented Israel at Eurovision with the song “New Day Will Rise” (written by Keren Peles and Tomer Biran), without being involved in its writing. However, her songwriting skills are well known in the industry: in October, she released her EP featuring tracks she helped write, including the songs “Uma Itkha” and “Yidalek HaOr”.
Tslil Klifi co‑wrote both lyrics and composition. Klifi is regarded as one of the most successful and influential songwriters in Israeli pop, with a long list of hits including “Masa” by Eliad Nahum, “Holekhet Itkha” by Narkis, “Bridezilla” by Noa Kirel and more. Klifi also has direct Eurovision experience: in 2020, she wrote “Rakata” for Eden Alene, which placed third in the “HaShir HaBa for Eurovision” selection. In 2022, she contributed to “Marionette”, chosen for Inbal Bibi in the fourth season finale of “X Factor for Eurovision”, where it finished third.
Nadav Aharoni is responsible for the lyrics, composition and musical production of the song. Aharoni has penned numerous major hits, including “Khatzi Meshuga’at” by Nasreen Kadri, “HaBallada LaMekhakot” by Narkis, “Lo Tireh Oti Bokhe” by Eden Hasson and “Bridezilla” by Noa Kirel. He is also the musical producer behind Noam Bettan’s hit “Madame”, a collaboration that will now continue onto the Eurovision Song Contest stage.
How Israel’s Eurovision selection committee worked
Around one month ago, the final of “HaKokhav HaBa for Eurovision” took place, where Noam Bettan won and was chosen to represent Israel at Eurovision 2026, to be held this May in Vienna, Austria.
In parallel to the TV season, the national broadcaster opened a submissions window for songs from December 21st to January 26th. The broadcaster stressed that songs could be submitted in any language, but must include at least a few lines in Hebrew – a requirement that remains in place this year.
The selection committee was chaired by Barak Itzkovich, head of KAN’s music stations. It included senior music editors from the broadcaster, leading professionals from Israel’s music and television industries, and a public representative. Committee members listened to all submitted songs without knowing the identities of their writers, a procedure designed to prevent bias and ensure a strictly professional choice.
The song “Michelle” will be unveiled in a special presentation show on KAN 11 on March 5th.
Israel in Eurovision 2026
“Michelle” is the title of the song that Noam Bettan will perform, representing Israel in the first semi-final set to take place on May 12 in Vienna, Austria. The song was written by Noam together with Yuval Rafael, Tzlil Klifi, and Nadav Aharoni. The song is expected to be revealed in early March. Currently, Israel ranks fifth in the Eurovision betting charts.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Israel’s 48th participation in Eurovision. Israel joined the contest in 1973 and has won four times. Its most recent victory was at Eurovision 2018 with the song “Toy”, performed by singer Netta Barzilai.
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Ilay Gaist is a leading Israeli content creator and writer specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He is a well-known commentator with extensive expertise in the contest’s history, rules, and dynamics. His passion for Eurovision drives him to deliver rich, professional, and innovative content to his audience.
Ilay holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic and has a multilingual background. He also engages in cultural research, with a particular focus on global culinary traditions and the evolution of local cuisines around the world.
