For Israel’s contestant, the Eurovision Song Contest comes with tight security, boos and cheers
Eden Golan is in Sweden for the Eurovision Song Contest, but she is not seeing much of the country
MALMO, Sweden (AP) — Eden Golan is in Sweden for the Eurovision Song Contest, but she is not seeing much of the country.
The 20-year-old Israeli singer is surrounded by security as she travels between hotel and the contest venue in the city of Malmo. According to Israel’s public broadcaster, she practiced singing while being booed to prepare for her performance in the pan-continental song competition.
Golan has become a focus for protests by pro-Palestinian demonstrators who want Israel kicked out of Eurovision over its war against Hamas, which has killed almost 35,000 people in Gaza.
A crowd estimated by police at more than 10,000 marched through the southern Swedish city on Thursday to chants of “Free Palestine” and “Israel is a terror state.” Banners accused Eurovision of being complicit in genocide and called for a boycott of the competition.
