Israel’s Eurovision Contestant Places in Fifth, After Performing to Jeers and Cheers;
Thousands of people marched through Malmö to protest Israeli singer Eden Golan’s participation and to demand a Gaza cease-fire
MALMÖ — Police removed dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators protesting outside the Malmö Arena as the final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest began on Saturday. Earlier, thousands attended a pro-Palestinian demonstration to protest Israel’s participation in the event held in the city Saturday night.
The competition that pits nations against one another for pop music glory concluded in the Swedish city, with Switzerland claiming the trophy, and Israel at the center of a political storm.
After performing to boos and applause, Israeli singer Eden Golan ultimately placed in fifth in the final, receiving 329 points from the public vote.
Golan’s performance of the power ballad, “Hurricane,” in Thursday’s semifinal shot up her odds. Though she faced some booing at dress rehearsals, she was voted into the final by viewers around the world.
Demonstrators took part in Falastinvision, a pro-Palestinian musical protest event held at a venue in the city. Attendees waved Palestinian flags and banners while chanting protests against Israel and its actions in Gaza.
Described on its website as a “genocide-free song contest,” the event featured various singers and bands who registered in advance and competed for a prize. According to the organizers, the event aims to “shed light on the Palestinian issue” and protest against the decision of the European Broadcasting Union to allow Israel to participate in Eurovision amid accusations of committing war crimes.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised 20-year-old Golan for performing despite “contending with an ugly wave of antisemitism.”
Her rise in the betting odds occurred after the semi-final results were mistakenly revealed on Thursday by the Italian channel RIA, indicating that 39% of the audience votes in the country were for “Hurricane.”
The channel stated on Friday that these were “inaccurate data.” Croatia’s “Tick-Tock” performed by Albina led the betting odds for victory with a significant margin.
On Friday, during the jury rehearsal, which determined 50 percent of the final scores and was open to ticket holders, Golan again faced booing when she took the stage.
Though the contest’s motto is “united by music,” this year’s event attracted large protests from Palestinians and their supporters, who said Israel should be excluded because of its conduct of the war against Hamas.
Thousands of people are expected to march for the second time this week through Sweden’s third-largest city, which has a large Muslim population, to demand a boycott of Israel and a cease-fire in the seven-month war.