VIENNA — A Vienna café has become an unlikely focal point of the Eurovision Song Contest’s deep divisions over Israel’s participation, offering Israeli food and flags to fans while a police officer stands guard outside.
When city officials announced a list of “Eurofan Cafes” — coffee shops offering fare and music from competing nations — Israel was absent. MQ Kantine, a modern café in Vienna’s museums quarter, volunteered to fill the gap. It now serves falafel, bagels with lox and kosher wine, and a string of small Israeli flags hangs from the ceiling. A police officer is stationed at the door, a visible sign of the security apparatus that has descended on the Austrian capital for the international music competition whose “United by Music” slogan has rung hollow this year.
Five countries are boycotting because Israel is taking part. Pro-Palestinian activists plan a protest concert — one of several Eurovision alternatives across Europe — and an anti-Israel march before Saturday’s grand final. At MQ Kantine, volunteers take turns watching for trouble, but the mood has been largely supportive, said Daniel Kapp, a PR consultant and pro-Israel campaigner. “It’s beautiful,” he said as people drank coffee and beer on the terrace in spring sunshine, though he added that the police presence showed things are “not entirely normal.”
Kapp said Austria’s history of deadly antisemitism under the Nazis informs the country’s stance. “My feeling is that Austria to a certain degree has learned from its history,” he said. “Which is why the support for Israel is a lot more normal than it is in other countries.”
Israel has competed in Eurovision for more than 50 years and won four times. But its participation has been contested since it launched a war in Gaza after 1,200 people were killed in a Hamas-led cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023. More than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government and whose detailed records are viewed as generally reliable by the international community. Israel’s government has repeatedly defended its campaign as a response to the attack, but a number of experts, including those commissioned by a United Nations body, have said that Israel’s offensive in Gaza amounts to genocide. Israel, home to many Holocaust survivors and their relatives, has vigorously denied the claim. The latest Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon and the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran have driven tensions still higher.
The 2024 contest in Malmo, Sweden, and last year’s event in Basel, Switzerland, saw pro-Palestinian protests calling for Israel’s expulsion. This year, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain pulled out after organizers allowed Israel to compete.
Inside the Wiener Stadthalle arena and the fan zone, an upbeat party atmosphere prevails. But attendees must pass through a ring of steel — searches, scanners, and a ban on bags — and armed police are highly visible. Awareness of terror risks is acute after a 21-year-old Austrian man pled guilty to plotting an attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in 2024.
Israeli singer Noam Bettan told Israeli media that, like his predecessor Yuval Raphael, he practiced performing while being booed. During Tuesday’s semifinal, scattered shouts mixed with cheers; he secured a spot in Saturday’s final by finishing among the top 10 in voting by viewers and national juries. Organizers said four people were removed from the audience of 10,000 for disruptive behavior.
Austrian fan Ivo Herzl said “the vibe was incredibly positive.” He sells Mazel Lov T-shirts — a play on the Hebrew and Yiddish congratulatory phrase — to show support for Israel. “Vienna has always been a city of tolerance,” Herzl said. “It’s the city of music and we’ll always do everything possible for everyone to enjoy a musical event.”
Israeli fan Oz Yona, attending his first Eurovision, said he had experienced “no hate” and felt Austria took antisemitism seriously. He came with friends to cheer for Israel, though he did not expect a victory — for musical reasons. “I don’t think he will win,” Yona said. “Finland is better this year. Greece is better this year. We have a good song, but not a winning song.”
Birgitta Peterson and Kristina Nilsson, Swedish fans who call themselves The Swedish Ladies, plan to wave Israeli flags at Saturday’s final after their own country’s contestant, Felicia, said earlier this year that she did not think Israel should be in the contest. They said the tensions have fractured a community known for its friendliness and embrace of diversity. “The wounds are very deep at the moment,” Nilsson said. “This event should really be about ‘united by music’ and happiness. That’s what Eurovision is all about.”