Eden Golan's Eurovision performance sparks protest and controversy

On Thursday, 9th May, the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest unfolded. Israel's act took to the stage in the Swedish Malmö Arena, with Eden Golan performing a song that had been modified following protests. During her performance, a man in the audience brandished a Palestinian flag—an action he would soon regret.

In this semi-final, 16 countries took their turns on stage, but Israel's participation garnered significant attention prior to the contest because activists demanded the country's exclusion from this year's competition. The controversy centred around Eden Golan's original song, "October Rain," which contained multiple references to an attack by Hamas on Israel on 7 October of the preceding year.

The pushback from activists led to changes in the song’s lyrics and its title to "Hurricane." Golan's reception from the audience was expectedly chilly. After the general rehearsal on Wednesday, social media was abuzz with videos of Golan being booed. However, during the live performance, overt signs of disapproval were less evident; this does not imply an absence of protest.

A video circulating on social media captured a man waving the Palestinian Authority's flag. Shortly after, two uniformed security guards approached him, took him by the arms, and escorted him out of the arena. The man documented the incident on his phone, engaging in a dialogue with the officers, who remained professional and quietly led him to the exit.

This year, 20-year-old Eden Golan represented Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden. Golan hails from Kfar Saba in Israel's central district but lived most of her early life in Moscow, having moved there at six with her Ukrainian mother and Latvian father. In 2015, she attempted to represent Russia at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest but did not advance from the national preliminaries.

In 2016, her performance at the "New Wave" concert in Russia-occupied Crimea sparked controversy, casting a shadow over her invitation to this year's Eurovision. It was only in 2022 that she publicly distanced herself from Putin's Russia and returned to Israel.