There has been controversy over Israel being allowed to compete in the 2024 edition of the song contest Israel’s Eurovision entry has been booed by the audience during a dress rehearsal, but vowed to continue with the performance. The moment took place at the dress rehearsal for the second wave of semi-finals yesterday (May 8), with the live performance set to take place tonight. In footage captured of the performance, Israel contestant Eden Golan is seen performing her entry song ‘Hurricane’ on the stage in Sweden, while numerous members of the crowd start to boo.
The backlash to the performance comes amid controversy about Israel being allowed to compete in the 2024 edition of the song contest in light of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, and the footage also shows an audience member shouting “Free Palestine”. Because of the inclusion, there have been a number of calls to boycott the competition from various countries. Over 1,000 Swedish artists, for instance, called for Israel to be banned this year , including Robyn , Fever Ray , and First Aid Kit .
Similarly, over 1,400 Finnish music industry professionals signed a petition to ban the country from taking part in the contest as well. Israel also stirred controversy with their entry song. Originally titled ‘October Rain’, the track appeared to contain references to the victims of Hamas’ October 7 attacks and was barred from performance due to breaking rules on political neutrality.
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