A week before Noam Bettan takes the Eurovision stage in Vienna with 'Michelle,' Israel’s delegation director said after the first rehearsal that criticism is 'background noise we don’t want to address'A week before the first semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, in which Noam Bettan will take the stage in Vienna to represent Israel with the song “Michelle,” Israeli delegation director Yoav Tzafir spoke with ynet’s studio about Bettan’s first rehearsal, the reactions the delegation received and preparations for the performance.“The first rehearsal on stage is exciting every year, because you work on a number and you don’t know how it will turn out,” Tzafir said. “Especially Noam, who may not be new to the music and stage business but is new to Eurovision — you never know how it will come out, but he handled it like a king. He’s also an excellent singer and a strong performer, he has it. If this is how he is at the first rehearsal, it will only get better, I’m sure. It will keep improving.”2 View gallery Noam Bettan during a rehearsal on the Eurovision stage (Photo: Corinne Cumming, European Broadcasting Union)According to Tzafir, during the second rehearsal, scheduled for Wednesday, the delegation expects to further refine the performance. “We prepared various fixes and adjustments to make the number even better, and tomorrow we’ll check if it works with the contest team. Noam will be more precise, the dancers will be more precise, and that’s how we reach the finished number — that usually happens by the end of the second rehearsal.”What reactions did you receive after the first rehearsal?