{"id":619961,"date":"2024-05-10T09:46:44","date_gmt":"2024-05-10T06:46:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/eurovision-israels-entrant-booed-during-rehearsal\/"},"modified":"2024-05-10T09:46:44","modified_gmt":"2024-05-10T06:46:44","slug":"eurovision-israels-entrant-booed-during-rehearsal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/eurovision-israels-entrant-booed-during-rehearsal\/","title":{"rendered":"#Eurovision: Israel\u2019s Entrant Booed During Rehearsal"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Eden Golan, Israel\u2019s entrant for the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, was booed during rehearsals on Thursday, with the crowd in Malm\u00f6, Sweden chanting \u201cFree Palestine\u201d during the singer\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n

\n Ahead of the Eurovision semi-final, Golan was performing her song \u201cHurricane\u201d when sections of the crowd turned on her and the jeering began. In video clips posted to social media<\/a>, audible boos can be heard during Golan\u2019s rehearsal, with local media reporting that there were also political chants.<\/p>\n

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Crowd reaction as Israel takes to the stage in Malmo<\/p>\n

Largely cheers and app<\/a>lause at first \u2013 but boos get loud as singer Eden Golan begins performing #Eurovision2024<\/a><\/p>\n

Very very mixed response here in the arena pic.twitter.com\/WwrVInxMat<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jack Parker (@JackParkr) May 9, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\n Outside the Eurovision venue in Malm\u00f6, a city long considered within Sweden as left-leaning with a rich history of protest, there have been ongoing demonstrations against Israel\u2019s war in Gaza this week. On Thursday, local police reported that over 10,000 people, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, marched through the city in a pro-Palestine protest that directly called on Eurovision organizers to drop Israel from the contest. <\/p>\n

\n The controversy has been big news<\/a> in Sweden, with several high profile musicians, including Robyn, Fever Ray, Axel Boman, Refused, DJ Seinfeld, Peder Mannerfelt and First Aid Kit among more than 1,000 signatories of an open letter<\/a> calling for Eurovision to ban Israel from the 2024 competition. \u201cThe fact that countries that place themselves above humanitarian law are welcomed to participate in international cultural events trivializes violations of international law and makes the suffering of the victims invisible,\u201d the open letter said. <\/p>\n

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Israel\u2019s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest is being protested in Malm\u00f6, Sweden, where the event is being hosted on May 9, 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n

Atila Altuntas\/Anadolu via Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n Despite the negative crowd reaction inside and outside the arena, Golan\u2019s song was one of 10 that advanced from Thursday\u2019s second semi-final to the live televised final on Saturday, when another large pro-Palestine protest is planned. <\/p>\n

\n Golan has become a lightning rod for wider criticism of Israel\u2019s ongoing war in Gaza, that according to Gazan health officials has led to the death of over 34,000 people in seven months. The inclusion of Israel, a Eurovision winner in 1978, 1979, 1998 and 2018, in this year\u2019s contest has sparked furious debate across Europe, particularly as Russia was barred from the event in 2022 after it invaded Ukraine. <\/p>\n

\n Eurovision is ordinarily non-political, but geopolitics have come to the fore in recent times and this year\u2019s event has become the most divisive in living memory. Across Europe, national broadcasters who make up the European Broadcasting Union, the body that oversees Eurovision, have been petitioned and faced rising calls to boycott this year\u2019s event over Israel\u2019s inclusion due to the war in Gaza. The EBU, in contrast, has doubled down and dismissed calls to ban Israel. <\/p>\n

\n Before the contest began in earnest, the EBU, trying, and seemingly failing, to stick to its non-political principles, requested that the Israeli entry change the title and some lyrics of their song<\/a>. Golan\u2019s song was originally called \u201cOctober Rain\u201d which, along with some specific lyrics, was deemed to be a reference to the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel. After a storm of controversy and a refusal from the Israelis to change anything, a compromise was reached after the country\u2019s President Isaac Herzog called for \u201cnecessary adjustments\u201d so that Israel could compete. <\/p>\n

\n On March 29, several Eurovision entrants released a joint statement calling for \u201can immediate and lasting ceasefire\u201d in Gaza as well as the return of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas. The statement was signed by acts including Bambie Thug (Ireland), G\u00e5te (Norway), Iolanda (Portugal), Megara (San Marino), Mustii (Belgium), Nemo (Switzerland), Olly Alexander (United Kingdom), Saba (Denmark), Silvester Belt (Lithuania) and Windows95man (Finland). <\/p>\n

\n The EBU has further sent down an edict to entrants to refrain from political symbols and statements during performances to adhere to the contest\u2019s non-political nature. The BBC reports<\/a> that Ireland\u2019s Bambie Thug said they were \u201cordered\u201d to remove political gestures from an outfit ahead of their semi-final performance, adding that their costume had originally included references to \u201cceasefire\u201d and \u201cfreedom for Palestine\u201d written in ancient Celtic writing known as Ogham. Fans were also been warned not to bring Palestinian flags or symbols into the Eurovision venue.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n