President Isaac Herzog hosted Noam Bettan, Israel’s representative and runner-up at Eurovision 2026, at the President's Residence in Jerusalem on Monday, together with a delegation from Kan, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation.
“The people of Israel love you very much, and when you ended your performance at Eurovision with ‘Am Yisrael Chai,’ you moved all of our hearts. You brought great joy and pride to the people of Israel and stood courageously in the face of waves of hatred and hostility. You brought Israel's name into almost every home in the world, and I commend you for that," Herzog told Bettan.
The singer replied: “It is a great honor for me to be at the President's Residence today, to meet the President of the State of Israel and to receive this embrace and appreciation after this moving journey. Thank you to everyone who supported, voted, and sent love throughout the entire journey. I felt the embrace of the people of Israel at every moment, and it gave me tremendous strength to step onto the stage and give it my all."
Golan Yochpaz, CEO of the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, Kan, stated: “Noam's performance, as Kan's representative at Eurovision, brought the Israeli spirit and culture, in all their beauty and power, to the forefront of the world's biggest stage. There were many challenges that almost prevented us from being at Eurovision this year, and thanks to very significant work by the Corporation and by you, Mr. President, and with the help of additional parties who fought, we succeeded in taking the stage and sending such a talented representative who did the job brilliantly."