[58573] Protests against Israel's Eurovision 2026 representative during the semi-final

Turbulent protests against Israel's Eurovision 2026 representative

During the first semi-final of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, Israeli singer Noam Batan took the stage under a cloud of public protest. According to reports from several media outlets, including malikejder and halktvcomtr, Batan's performance was accompanied by chants of "stop the genocide" by some of those present in the hall.

According to reports from Turkish Telegram channels such as 'Son Dakika Haberler Gündem' and 'Son Dakika Haberler Türkiye', these events included the waving of Palestinian flags by protesters who sought to express solidarity with the residents of Gaza. These channels, which present a distinctly critical line regarding Israeli policy, noted that part of the audience attempted to disrupt the performance with political slogans.

Conversely, the Sputnik Türkiye news agency, known for its tendency to cover events from a Eurasian perspective, reported that the protesters who chanted against Israel and waved the Palestinian flag were forcibly removed from the hall by security forces. Despite the protests, Batan managed to qualify for the contest's final, an event described by halktvcomtr as another "Israeli crisis" in the history of the contest.