Israel PM Netanyahu Sends Eurovision Entry Good Luck Video Ahead Of Semi-Final, Amid Protests
deadline.comIsrael participated in the Eurovision Song Contest on Thursday evening, as thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in the host city of Malmo, Sweden, to protest against the country’s participation in the competition.
The Israeli entry Eden Golan was booed during a rehearsal of her song Hurricane on Wednesday, but she was greeted with cheers – if not quite as euphoric as for some other acts – during Thursday evening’s semi-final, and was voted through to Saturday’s Grand Final.
The Jerusalem Post reports that, prior to the second semi-final, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu wished Golan goodluck in a video.
In his statement, Netanyahu said, “Eden, I want to wish you success, but you have already succeeded. You not only face Eurovision n a proud and impressive way, but you successfully face a wave of anti-semitism while standing and representing the State of Israel with respect.” The BBC reports that 12,000 people, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, attended the pro-Palestinian protest in Malmo.
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