Eurovision 2024: First 10 countries secure spot in Grand Final
USA TodayMay 03
Israel Heads to Eurovision Final Despite Protests
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Image copyright: Kan 11/Israel Foreign Ministry [via X]
The Facts
Israeli singer Eden Golan has qualified after a public vote for the Eurovision Song Contest final, which will take place Saturday, despite being booed in the semifinal on Thursday and during dress rehearsals.
This comes as thousands marched in Malmö, Sweden to protest Israel's participation in the competition while its campaign in Gaza continues. Further demonstrations are scheduled for Saturday.
The Spin
Pro-Palestine narrative
While the EBU claims that its annual song competition is apolitical, history shows that Eurovision is as political as it gets. Several countries have either been disqualified from or boycotted the contest for political reasons, including Russia, which has been banned for two years now due to its military campaign in Ukraine. Therefore, allowing Israel to compete while the country carries out brutal warfare in Gaza is nothing but a political choice.
Pro-Israel narrative
First and foremost, there is no equivalence between Russia and Israel. If anything, Israel should be compared to Ukraine, as the wars started when both countries were attacked, not the other way round. Perhaps even more concerning is the fact that mobs in Malmö are harassing and threatening a 20-year-old woman who has nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza just because she happens to be an Israeli national and a Jew.
