(JTA) — Israeli singer Eden Golan advanced to Eurovision’s final on Thursday night, despite protests against her participation due to Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
During the semifinal in Malmö, Sweden, where the 68th Eurovision Song Contest is taking place, Golan’s performance of her song “Hurricane” elicited a mix of boos and cheers from the audience, with the booing being muffled for at-home viewers. One man waving a Palestinian flag was escorted out by security due to Eurovision guidelines prohibiting flags other than national flags of contestants and the pride flag.
Despite the controversy, Golan received enough votes from viewers to advance to the final. She garnered a significant number of votes from Italy, propelling her to third place in bookmaker rankings by Friday morning, although Croatia remains a favorite with singer Baby Lasagna’s track “Rim Tim Tagi Dim.”
Earlier in the day, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joined a demonstration against Israel’s participation in Eurovision, which has the slogan “United by Music.” The protest drew between 10,000 and 12,000 participants who called for a ceasefire in Gaza amid Israel’s military campaign. The protest, which featured smoke flares in the colors of the Palestinian flag, was largely peaceful.
The controversy surrounding Israel’s participation in Eurovision has led to calls for a ban on the country, citing a double standard after Russia was excluded following its invasion of Ukraine. Eurovision organizers have defended their decision to ban Russia based on breach of membership obligations and public service values.
In response to the protests, alternative events like “FalastinVision” have been organized in Malmö, offering a platform for artists from various countries to perform in a “genocide-free song contest” concurrent with Eurovision’s final.