Bettan had earlier taken part in the parade of performers waving their nation’s flags at the start of the show.
Noam Bettan with Israeli flag on his shoulders at the start of the final (Corrinne Cumming/EBU)Corinne Cumming/EBU
Norton praised Bettan, saying he “performs very well”, adding that his performance was “clever staging” in a “sort of reflective diamond” as he described the glitzy, stylish design.
As the performance began, the singer was greeted with what Norton called “a slightly mixed response in the hall”, adding: “I’m not sure what we’re hearing.”
But Bettan appeared completely unfazed if there had been any disturbance, and he and his troupe of dancers gave a flawless performance.
Veteran Eurovision host Norton said afterwards: “I would say that’s a largely positive reaction tonight, a lot of Israeli flags.”
Noam Bettan performing Michelle with troupe of dancers in the final (Sarah Louise Bennett/EBU)Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU
He added: “Whatever the jury vote, expect that to do incredibly well with the viewer vote.
“I imagine that will be top three."
Earlier, Gal Gadot had called Bettan, who had been faced with booing in today’s rehearsals and at Tuesday night’s semi-final.
Influencer Hen Mazzig shared a clip of the phone call, in which the Israeli film star said: “All the hate has no power over you. You’re amazing. You’re talented. The more they boo you, the louder we’ll get.”
Earlier this year, Bettan, 28, told the JC how he will not be put off by the boycott calls and protests and instead will focus on positivity. He said: “I’m trying to see the love of God in everything and in every opportunity even if you have something that hurts you along the way.”
Noam Bettan performing Michelle in the final at the Wiener Stadthalle (Corinne Cumming/EBU)Corinne Cumming/EBU
There have been small-scale protests in Vienna against Israel’s participation.
However, others have publicly welcomed Bettan, including the Young Greens of Austria, who put out a video on Instagram saying they give “zero points to antisemitism”.
The post declared: “Boycotting Israel's participation in Eurovision, booing and harassing the Israeli artists will not free Palestine.
“What it will do is contribute to a hateful environment against Jews that make Jewish life in Europe more and more unsafe.
“Which is why we‘re giving zero points to antisemitism!”
Attempts to force Israel out of the contest over the conflict in Gaza have been rejected by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
However, five countries which had lobbied for a boycott have pulled out from this year’s contest: Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Iceland.
The controversy has led to changes in the EBU’s rules, including a cap on the number of votes for each member of the public of just 10, down from the previous limit of 20.
Voting tonight will close approximately 40 minutes after the performance by the final act. The judges have already voted in secret, based on last night’s performances by all the acts. The two votes will be combined to decide this year’s winner.
