The performance in the second Eurovision 2024 semi-final of the representative of Israel, Eden Golan, has been received with boos from the public as rejection of the military offensive that this country is carrying out in Gazawith almost 35,000 Palestinian civilians dead, half of them children.

These signs of disapproval, mixed with applause On the other hand, they have remained throughout the performance of their song, especially in the ‘a cappella’ part, according to what attendees at the show held at the Malmö Arena told EFE, although the television broadcast carried out by the Swedish network SVT did not show them. has collected.

In the general rehearsal with the public, held on Wednesday night, the singer already suffered whistles and booswhich led to a complaint from the public broadcaster Kan, which organizes Israel’s participation in Eurovision, to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and to the Swedish public broadcaster.

“I’m here doing what I love, I only focus on the music and the energy, there are many who support me and it is an honor to represent my country especially in these times. I only focus on doing a good performance and being heard our voice,” the artist declared to the press this Thursday when asked about the rehearsal.

The Israeli complaint also includes messages in solidarity with Palestine and against the war in Gaza, like the scarf or kufiya worn by the Swedish-Palestinian artist Eric Saade in the first semi-final during his guest performance. This same Thursday, Thousands of people participated in a demonstration through the streets of Malmö convened by the platform ‘Stop Israel, for peace and for a free Palestine’, which brings together more than 60 organizations, and slogans have been chanted against Israel’s participation in Eurovision.

For months now, there have been multiple requests for his expulsion from this edition, just as Russia was in 2022 when it invaded Ukraine. In a statement, the EBU considered, however, that this is a different case and that, as a member of its organization, Israeli public television has complied with all regulations and also its public service function.

The organizing committee, however, rejected the first two songs presented by this delegation due to their political references to the Hamas attacks last October, political references that are expressly prohibited in the contest rules. ‘Hurricane’, the song with which Golan finally competes, is a metaphor about the capacity for resistance in the face of inclemency of an ambiguous nature and is sung in English except for the last verses, which are performed in Hebrew.