Ukrainian version of Michelle and the controversial call to vote: new conflict between Israel and EBU

A new controversy around Israel at Eurovision 2026 has erupted not because of the country’s participation in the contest itself, but because of how the song Michelle by KAN representative Noam Bettan was promoted. The focus was on short promo videos where the artist urged viewers to use all available votes for Israel.

According to specialized Eurovision publications and European media, the European Broadcasting Union sent an official warning to the Israeli broadcaster KAN after videos appeared explaining to viewers how to vote for Israel up to ten times. These publications specifically mentioned that the appeals were distributed in several languages, including Ukrainian.

Why the video drew complaints from the EBU

Formally, Eurovision viewers can indeed vote for the same country multiple times — via SMS, online platform, app, or phone call, depending on the country and available voting method. But the conflict arose not around the right to vote itself, but around the scale and tone of the advertising campaign.

Bettan, representing Israel with the song Michelle, found himself at the center of discussion after video appeals with a direct call to support his entry appeared on social media. According to Eurovoix and RTE, contest organizers saw this as a violation of new promotion rules, which were tightened after last year’s disputes over mass campaigns on social media.

For Israel, this story is particularly sensitive. At Eurovision, the country has been under strong political and media pressure for the second year in a row. Any step by the Israeli delegation is immediately seen not only as a musical promotion but also as part of a broader struggle for Israel’s public legitimacy on the European stage.

What Martin Green said

Eurovision Executive Supervisor Martin Green stated that the EBU quickly contacted the Israeli delegation and demanded the cessation of such videos and their removal from platforms where they were published. According to him, the union will closely monitor KAN’s further promotional activities and may take additional measures if deemed necessary.

In this wording, not only the fact of the warning is important. The EBU effectively made it clear that it considers aggressive promotion as a separate risk for the contest, especially if the campaign appears organized, massive, and aimed at maximizing viewer voting.

Ukrainian language in the campaign: the video that might have disappeared

The Ukrainian aspect of this story is of particular interest. Publications about the scandal indicate that Bettan’s appeals were prepared in 12 languages, including Ukrainian. This is an important detail: the Israeli team was clearly trying to speak not only to English-speaking or Western European audiences but also to a broader circle of viewers, including Ukrainians and the Ukrainian diaspora.

However, the Ukrainian version of the controversial promotional video with a direct call to vote is now difficult to find in open access. Judging by the EBU’s reaction and the demand to remove the video, some of these materials may have been taken down from platforms or hidden after a complaint.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian version of the song Michelle is already available on YouTube:

This is not necessarily the same removed promo video with voting instructions, but an important fact for understanding the campaign: the Ukrainian direction in promotion indeed existed. The Israeli participant addressed different audiences not only through a general English message but also through localized versions of the content.

For Ukrainian viewers, this could look like an attempt to establish an emotional connection through language. For the EBU, it was part of an overly active campaign that goes beyond ordinary song promotion.

Why this is important for the Israeli audience

For Israel, the Ukrainian language in this story is not a random detail. After 2022, the Ukrainian theme became part of a large European political and cultural agenda. Support for Ukraine, attitudes towards Russia, debates about boycotts, symbols of solidarity, and cultural diplomacy — all of this has long gone beyond official politics.

That is why the Israeli participant’s appeal to the Ukrainian audience could be perceived as a smart move. But in the context of Eurovision, even such a step quickly becomes controversial if it is associated with a direct instruction: vote, use all available votes, support Israel as actively as possible.

In the material by NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency, this story is important not as another scandal around the contest, but as an example of how a cultural event turns into a field of pressure, rules, political suspicions, and a struggle for an international audience.

KAN’s response and the main question about Eurovision rules

According to media reports, the Israeli broadcaster KAN rejected accusations of an unfair campaign and stated that Bettan’s promotion was his own initiative. There is understandable logic in the Israeli position: if the rules allow a viewer to vote up to ten times, then the call to use this right does not seem exceptional.

But the EBU sees the situation differently. Contest organizers are concerned not about a single post or one video, but about systemic pressure on voting through massive, multilingual, and potentially funded campaigns. It is these concerns that led to new marketing and promotion instructions for participants.

Music or political nerve

The scandal around Michelle shows that Eurovision has long ceased to be just a musical competition. For Israel, each contest season turns into a test: how the country will be represented, how the audience will receive it, how the jury, viewers, activists, and European broadcasters will react.

In this situation, even the Ukrainian version of the song gains additional meaning. It is no longer just a localization of musical material. It becomes part of the question: where is the line between normal artist promotion and an attempt to mobilize an audience around a country under political pressure.

For the Israeli public, the main takeaway here is not that Bettan asked for votes. Many participants do this, directly or indirectly. The question is different: why does the Israeli campaign provoke such a quick and harsh reaction, and how equally are these rules applied to all contest participants.

The story is not over yet. The EBU has already issued a warning, KAN defends the legality of the promotion, and around Israel at Eurovision, an atmosphere is forming again where every detail — the language of the video, the voting method, the wording on social media — becomes part of a large political debate.