Israel qualified for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest, in the Swedish city of Malmo, amid controversy over its participation in the European music event. Israeli singer Eden Golan performed the song “Hurricane” in front of 9,000 people at the Malmo Arena, a performance interrupted by some booing. A few hours earlier, nearly 12,000 people had demonstrated in the city against the Jewish state’s participation in the competition and to express their indignation at the war in the Gaza Strip. According to police estimates, more than 10,000 people, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, gathered in Malmo’s main square before marching along the pedestrian shopping street in the city’s southern centre, holding placards and slogans such as “Liberate the Palestine”, “Eurovision legitimizes genocide” and “colonialism cannot be dyed pink”. Around 50 protesters managed to reach the Malmo Arena before being dispersed by the heavy police presence.
Protesters also entered the Eurovision Village, where spectators can follow the concert on large screens. In another neighborhood of the Swedish town, around 100 counter-protesters gathered under police protection to express their support for Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had wished Golan good luck, saying he had “already won” by enduring the protests which he called “a horrible wave of anti-Semitism”.
The song “Hurricane” has already been partially rewritten with a new title after Eurovision organizers felt the original version was too political. Since the beginning of the year, several petitions have called for Israel’s exclusion from the 68th edition of the annual music competition, which opened last Tuesday with the first semifinal.
Meanwhile, Eurovision organizers have apologized after Swedish singer Eric Saade violated the ban on displaying political symbols. The 33-year-old, whose father is of Palestinian descent, wore a keffiyeh on his wrist during the performance. He himself had announced some form of protest before the show. “It is regrettable that he exploited his participation in this way,” said Swedish broadcaster SVT executive producer Ebba Adielsson. Other artists in the competition made calls for a ceasefire or made anti-Israel comments, but were told not to display political messages during performances.
