Eurovision embroiled in controversy as Israel's act faces backlash

The Israeli representative was booed during their performance in the Eurovision final. Eden Golan's participation had been controversial from the outset.

Every year, Eurovision sparks immense emotion among its fans, but this edition has provoked controversy like no other in recent memory. The atmosphere has been notably tense over the past few days, primarily due to Israel's participation. The fact that Eden Golan, representing the Middle Eastern nation, made it to the final sparked significant backlash from internet users and Eurovision artists. Joost Klein and Marina Satti notably ignored the Israeli representative during the press conference.

Last year's Finnish and Norwegian representatives, Alessandra and Käärijä, who were slated to announce their countries' scores, announced their withdrawal from the event, citing their need to distance themselves from the contest.

Despite opposition from viewers and fellow musicians, 20-year-old Eden Golan took to the Eurovision stage on Saturday evening and performed her song "Hurricane". The performance lived up to its name, inciting a storm of disapproval from the audience. The assembled crowd made their feelings about the Israeli's participation unmistakably clear, drowning Golan's performance in boos, which were then artificially masked by applause. Videos of the audience's reaction flooded the internet shortly after the performance concluded.

See for yourself.