Israel’s Premier Encourages Eurovision Contestant Faces With Protests
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
MALMÖ/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu encouraged Israeli artist Eden Golan ahead of the second semifinal of Eurovision, the world’s largest televised song contest, after she was booed and faced with massive anti-Israel protests.
“You’re competing not just in the Eurovision in a proud and very impressive manner, but you are competing successfully in the face of an ugly wave of antisemitism — and you are standing up to it and representing the State of Israel with huge honor,” added Netanyahu in a video message.
The prime minister told Golan that “when they ‘boo’ you, we are shouting ‘hooray’ for you,” referencing the booing the Israeli singer has faced from audiences during the dress rehearsals this week.
He spoke as climate activist Greta Thunberg, wearing a Palestinian scarf, joined thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Eurovision 2024 host city Malmo on Thursday to protest Israel’s participation in the song contest ahead of this year’s second semi-final.
In a reaction, Israel’s Eurovision contestant said “nothing will deter” despite getting booed.
Eden Golan was performing her song Hurricane ahead of Thursday’s semi-final in Malmo, Sweden. In a statement, she said she was “proud to represent my country.”
ISRAEL ALLOWED TO COMPETE
There have been several campaigns to block Israel from taking part in this year’s contest following the outbreak of the Hamas-Israel war.
However, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which hosted the event, ruled that Israel could compete.
Yet, Golan had to change her song Hurricane after the original track “October Rain” was deemed to be a reference to the October 7 attacks when Hamas killed about 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped hundreds.
Israel says the massacre, the worst atrocity against Jews since the Holocaust, or Shoah, prompted it to start attacking sites in Gaza.
The Hamas-run health ministry says since war broke out, about 35,000 Palestinians have been killed, but those figures have been difficult to verify. Protesters have accused Israel of “genocide,” charges Israel vehemently denies.
Despite the controversies, the deputy director general of the EBU, Jean Philip De Tender, said he was against a boycott of Israel at Eurovision.
EBU AGAINST POLITICAL DECISION
If you “exclude Kan (Israeli public broadcaster) outside of these competition rules, that would have been a political decision, as such, which we cannot take” because it considers itself as an apolitical organization, he said.
However, “We do understand the concerns and the deeply held views that many people have around the war in the Middle East, and I think nobody can remain untouched by the profound suffering of everybody involved in that war,” he added.
Yet life hasn’t been easy, with Golan’s team saying the 20-year-old has been confined to her hotel room after a series of threats against the Israeli delegation.
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, which organizes the country’s Eurovision entry, complained to the EBU about the “booing and asked it to prevent a repeat of the incident.”
Eurovision organizers liaised with Swedish police to bring in reinforcements from Denmark and Norway, as massive protests were underway in the city ahead of Israel’s semi-final performance.
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