
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Israeli singer Eden Golan advanced to the final round of the Eurovision song competition and will sing later Saturday, as thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators continue to protest in the event’s host city of Malmo, Sweden, calling for Israel’s exclusion from the competition over the Israel-Hamas war.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Protesters, including Swedish climate activist&nbsp;<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greta-thunberg-israel-eurovision-protest-b2543145.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Greta Thunberg</a>, have been gathering in Malmo&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/thousands-pro-palestinian-protesters-march-malmo-israels-eurovision-110072764" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">for days</a>&nbsp;with large crowds gathering&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snAhNf87FXo" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Saturday</a>&nbsp;ahead of the finals amid as calls for Israel’s expulsion—and Thunberg was arrested by Swedish police amid a standoff with officers Saturday afternoon, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68749936" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">BBC</a>&nbsp;reported.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesfarrell/2024/03/29/nine-eurovision-acts-call-for-israel-hamas-cease-fire-but-will-stop-short-of-boycott/?sh=3d165af67be2">Boycotts</a>&nbsp;of the competition began before it even started.</p>



<p>Israeli singer Eden Golan has been thrust into the center of the international controversy surrounding Israel’s war in Gaza, receiving heavy security and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/israeli-eurovision-contestant-eden-golan-214952660.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">reportedly</a>&nbsp;ordered by security to stay in her hotel room when not performing due to safety concerns.</p>



<p>The 20-year-old Golan has been repeatedly&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/AvivaKlompas/status/1789164572609261626" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">booed on stage</a>&nbsp;during&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/eden-golan-again-booed-during-rehearsal-hours-before-eurovision-final/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">dress</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/eden-golan-booed-at-eurovision-dress-rehearsal-vows-not-to-be-deterred/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">rehearsals</a>&nbsp;and formal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jta.org/2024/05/10/culture/israels-eden-golan-advances-to-eurovision-final-as-thousands-protest-in-malmo" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">performances</a>, but still earned enough&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/defying-haters-israels-eden-golan-advances-to-the-eurovision-grand-final-on-saturday/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">votes</a>&nbsp;after her Thursday semi-final performance to advance into Saturday’s finals.</p>



<p>Dutch performer Joost Klein was expelled Saturday morning after Swedish police investigated a “complaint made by a female member of the production crew,” and while no charges have been filed, “it would not be appropriate for him to continue in the contest,” according to Eurovision organizer the&nbsp;<a href="https://eurovision.tv/mediacentre/release/statement-dutch-participation-eurovision-song-contest" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">European Broadcasting Union</a>.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-time-is-the-eurovision-finals-and-where-is-it-streaming">WHAT TIME IS THE EUROVISION FINALS—AND WHERE IS IT STREAMING?</h2>



<p>In the U.S., the Eurovision finals start at 3 p.m. EDT. It’ll stream live on Peacock, and in some areas it will be livestreamed on the Eurovision&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@EurovisionSongContest/streams" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">YouTube channel.</a>&nbsp;A full list of broadcasters for every participating country can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://eurovision.tv/how-to-watch" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">here.</a></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-section-title">SECTION TITLE</h2>



<p>When news broke that Klein’s participation in the contest was under review, it prompted false speculation it may have been somehow related to Golan. Tensions flared at a press conference earlier this week when Golan was asked if she believed her presence at the event posed a safety threat to the other contestants and was told by a moderator she didn’t have to answer the question, prompting Klein to shout,&nbsp;<a href="https://news.sky.com/video/eurovision-netherlands-contestant-joost-klein-shouts-out-during-question-for-israels-eden-golan-13132973" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">“Why not?”</a>&nbsp;But the EBU said in its statement about Klein’s exit: “contrary to some media reports and social media speculation, this incident did not involve any other performer or delegation member.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>20,000. That’s how many protesters Swedish police were expecting in Malmo on Saturday, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/swedish-police-some-20000-set-to-protest-eden-golans-participation-in-eurovision/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Times of Israel.</a></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>Croatia is the betting favorite to win the competition, though Israel has risen up the ranks to No. 2, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://eurovisionworld.com/odds/eurovision" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Eurovision World</a>, a website that tracks the competition&#8217;s betting odds.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Pro-Palestinian protesters have been calling for Israel to be excluded from the competition and other boycotts as the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has raged on. In March, after several groups of musicians pressured contestants to boycott the competition, and nine Eurovision artists released a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesfarrell/2024/03/29/nine-eurovision-acts-call-for-israel-hamas-cease-fire-but-will-stop-short-of-boycott/?sh=727ddfa67be2">joint statement&nbsp;</a>calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, but stopped short of pulling out of competing. The European Broadcasting Union has resisted calls to exclude Israel from the event, but did ask Golan to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-unveils-revised-eurovision-song-after-lyrics-controversy-2024-03-10/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">change the lyrics</a>&nbsp;to her original entry song, “Hurricane,” which was inspired by the events of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. The song was originally titled “October Rain” and included more specific allusions to the attack, but the contest said it required all songs to be non-political.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“Be blessed, and know that when they boo you, we are cheering you on,” said Israeli Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://news.sky.com/video/eurovision-netanyahu-sends-support-to-israels-contestant-eden-golan-13132828" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Benjamin Netanyahu</a>&nbsp;in a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/netanyahu/status/1788623007990050922" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">video statement&nbsp;</a>to Golan on X earlier this week.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chief-critic">CHIEF CRITIC</h2>



<p>Climate activist&nbsp;<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greta-thunberg-israel-eurovision-protest-b2543145.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Greta Thunberg</a>&nbsp;accused Israel of “artwashing” its actions in Gaza, alleging the country is using the competition to distract from an alleged “genocide” of Palestinian people.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/05/11/what-is-eurovision-a-guide-for-confused-americans/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FORBES<strong>What Is Eurovision? A Guide For Confused Americans</strong><small>By&nbsp;<strong>Robert Hart</strong></small></a></p>



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Tag: Eurovision

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Greta Thunberg Arrested At Eurovision Finals Where Israel’s Eden Golan Competes