Eurovision 2023: Israeli performance fuels political controversy

The 68th Eurovision Song Contest is currently underway. The second semi-final will occur on Thursday, 9th May, in the evening, when the next set of contenders will be selected. Israeli representative Eden Golan's participation has sparked debate since the onset due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Hamas, which began in October. Eventually, what many had anticipated came to pass.

As disturbing news from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict frontlines continues to emerge and the world's attention is drawn to Rafah in the Gaza Strip, Eurovision organizers have overlooked the calls from activists across Europe to exclude Israel from this year's contest.

“We understand that people are concerned, but ultimately this is a music show, this is a family entertainment show, and we should focus on that. We are not the arena to solve a Middle East conflict. The Eurovision Song Contest is not a contest between governments,” stated executive producer Martin Oesterdahl, published by "The Guardian".

The autonomy of the public media, particularly television Kan, remains a pivotal issue. Faced with shutdown threats from Prime Minister Netanyahu, it requires support. In the end, it was decided that Eden Golan would perform on Thursday evening with a re-titled song (“October Rain” was changed to the more neutral "Hurricane"), and Palestinian flags were banned from the concert hall.

Not everyone is pleased with these decisions. Disapproval was vocal during Wednesday's rehearsal with an audience. Booing, at times overpowering applause and cheers, was evident during the performance. Television station Kan responded, “Eden stood proudly on stage during the rehearsal, delivering an incredible performance. They couldn't silence her, and they won't silence us. See you tomorrow,” as reported.

The second semi-final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest promises to be highly engaging. There is an expectation that Golan's performance might be interrupted by booing or even activist incursions onto the stage.