The Eurovision Song Contest takes place this weekend in Malmö, Sweden and it’s sure to be one of the most memorable in Eurovision history.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past few months, you won’t have failed to see the endless coverage about Israel taking part. Having been part of Eurovision since 1973, Israel has won the competition four times – most recently in 2018 with Netta’s ‘Toy’ – but this year there have been calls for them to be excluded.
Why are people calling for Israel to be excluded from Eurovision?
On October 7th 2023, terrorist organisation Hamas – the elected Government for Palestine – committed an unprecedented attack against Israel at the Nova Music Festival and Southern parts of Israel near the Gaza border. That attack saw Hamas kill around 1,200 people and take 252 hostages, and commit atrocious acts of sexual violence. In retaliation, Israel’s Government launched an expansive attack on Gaza in a bid to rescue the hostages and remove Hamas, and it is that ongoing war that has divided the world.
Despite Hamas being the instigator of the war, there has been a backlash against Israel. Accusations that Israel is ‘committing genocide’ have been rife and global demonstrations have been putting pressure on Israel’s allies to force them into accepting a ceasefire. It should be noted that it is Hamas who has repeatedly refused a ceasefire as it continues to hold hostages from the October 7th attacks.
The issues run deeper than the simple outline above but the fact remains that Hamas started the war and Israel has the right to respond. Due to the ongoing war, which has seen casualties on both sides (although the only figures we have for Gaza are from Hamas), pro-Palestine supporters have called on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to exclude Israel from Eurovision.
Should Israel be allowed to participate in Eurovision?
Yes, of course they should. Some people are drawing parallels between Russia and Israel but in reality the two situations couldn’t be more different. Russia were excluded in 2022 for their invasion of the Ukraine, and they decided to suspend their EBU membership, meaning they can no longer participate in Eurovision. Israel didn’t choose to invade Gaza – its Government has responded, as it has the right to, to an intentional and vicious attack from Hamas. It is Israel that was targeted by a terrorist organisation so to force the Country to withdraw from Eurovision, or to exclude them, would not have been the right thing to do.
Who is the Israeli Eurovision entry?
20-year-old Eden Golan has the unenviable task of representing Israel at this year’s event. Having competed to represent Russia in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2015, Golan went on to compete on ‘The Voice Kids’ in 2018 where she was a finalist. She was chosen to represent Israel at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest after winning talent show ‘Rising Star’.
There was some controversy around her song ‘Hurricane’, which was initially titled ‘October Rain’. It had to be rewritten to meet Eurovision’s rules as political statements are forbidden. The powerful ballad showcases Golan’s powerhouse voice superbly, shifting from powerful belts to operatic riffs.
Will Eden Golan be participating in the Eurovision final?
Last night Golan competed in the second semi-final and she sailed through to the Eurovision final. The resilience she has shown so far in the competition is remarkable. There were reports that she was booed during the rehearsal for the semi-final on Wednesday and her performance last night received a fairly muted reaction (rumours suggest that booing was edited out of the broadcast performance). Protests outside of the venue, involving serial protestor Greta Thunberg, continued to campaign for Israel’s removal from the competition.
During the press conference following the second semi-final, Golan was asked by a journalist if she ‘have you ever thought that by being here you bring risk and danger for other participants and (the) public?’. The room fell into a stunned silence and Golan gave a classy answer that further showcases just what an incredible young woman she is. Her response received rapturous applause.
Since being in Malmö there have been reports that Golan and her team have been told not to leave their hotel room for anything other than rehearsals, for her own safety. She’s been shunned by other contestants, who have been wary of being seen with her in case they themselves get a backlash.
Could Eden Golan go on to win Eurovision?
The chances of Golan winning the competition are slim but with Eurovision anything can happen. While the contest always claims to be ‘non-political’, politics inevitably come into play during the voting. It’s interesting to note that Israel is second favourite to win at the time of writing this article, behind Croatia.
‘Hurricane’ is a very strong song and there’s no doubt that Golan is the best vocalist in the competition. Perhaps a Top 10 placing is more realistic but even that would be a victory for Israel and Golan, given the level of backlash they’ve had for being in the competition. Either way, the bravery and resilience Golan has shown is inspiring. Few people would put themselves through what she’s unfairly had to go through, and even fewer would be capable of putting on the spectacular performance she delivered during the semi-final.
The Eurovision Song Contest final airs at 8pm Saturday 11th May 2024 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
