Israel's Eden Golan advances to the Eurovision 2024 grand final

On Thursday, Israel's Eden Golan advanced to the grand final of the Eurovision competition in Malmo, Sweden, qualifying with her song "Hurricane."

Channel 11 noted that although there was no audible booing from the audience during the broadcast, it was heard during the performance.

Before Eden Golan's performance, Danish television displayed a black banner with the inscription: "We condemn the violation of human rights in Israel, which violates freedom of speech. Ceasefire now!"

According to social media reports, TV sets were turned off, or the sound was muted entirely during Eden Golan's performance in some European bars where patrons watched the semifinal.

Representatives from Austria, Armenia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Greece, Georgia, Israel, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Finland, France, Croatia, Switzerland, Sweden, and Estonia will participate in the final, which will take place on the evening of May 11.

A massive anti-Israeli demonstration took place before the opening of today's show in Malmö, with participants chanting slogans such as "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" and "Israel is guilty of genocide." Swedish activist Greta Thunberg was among the demonstrators.

This protest had been coordinated in advance, and the Israeli delegation's security service was also informed. The Mako website reports that Israeli security services are in contact with their Swedish counterparts to ensure the safety of Eden Golan and her entourage.

There were pro-Palestinian activists among the audience. Yesterday, during the second dress rehearsal after Eden Golan took the stage, whistles were heard in the hall, but this did not prevent her from completing her performance. On the morning of May 9, the Israeli corporation Kan appealed to the European Broadcasting Union and the Swedish broadcaster SVT, responsible for organizing the contest, demanding action to prevent disturbances in the audience hall during the semifinal and allow Israel to participate in fair competition. According to Mako, the European Broadcasting Union has not responded yet.

"I am proud to represent Israel, especially this year. I receive love and support and am fully committed to giving my best during the semifinal. Nothing will distract me from my work," Eden Golan stated after the dress rehearsal, which pro-Palestinian activists attempted to disrupt.