Israel qualified for the final on Saturday May 11 of the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden, where thousands of people demonstrated against its participation in this competition due to the war in Gaza. For France, Slimane’s performance in the semi-final made an impression.
Impressive vocal power. Two days before the Eurovision final, the representative of France Slimane left his mark. Already qualified in the same way as the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden, he was able to test his song “Mon amour” in live conditions.
“I’m aiming for the place of pride, I want to be proud of myself, of my team, of what will remain, of the video that I will show to my daughter when she grows up”, he declared Thursday at BFMTV.
In the second curtain behind the bookmakers’ favorites, Slimane will try to succeed Marie Myriam, the last French winner of Eurovision in 1977.
In the semi-final, the young Israeli artist Eden Golan won her ticket on Thursday evening with the song “Hurricane”, the initial version of which had to be modified because it alluded to the attack by the Islamist group Hamas which bloodied Israel on the 7th. october.
“I am so grateful to everyone who voted for us and supported us”said the 20-year-old Israeli. “It’s truly an honor to be here, on stage, to perform and show our voice, to present ourselves with pride”she emphasized.
Israel has participated in Eurovision since 1973, which it won for the fourth time in 2018. On Friday, the country was second favorite for the final victory behind Croatia and ahead of Switzerland, according to the betting site comparator in online Oddschecker.com.
Before the semi-final, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that his country’s candidate had “already won”.
“Not only are you proudly and admirably participating in Eurovision, but you are successfully confronting a horrible wave of anti-Semitism,” he said in a video message to the singer.
Enhanced security
Nearly 12,000 people demonstrated in the host city on Thursday against Israel’s participation, expressing outrage over the war in Gaza. A new rally is planned for Saturday.
“This year we are boycotting completely”confided Cecilia Brudell, 31, in the crowd which also included climate activist Greta Thunberg.
“Hurricane” was, however, performed without a hitch or interruption on Thursday evening by Eden Golan in front of the 9,000 spectators at the Malmö Arena, exhilarated by the competition.
Inside the room, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which oversees the competition, has as usual banned any flag other than those of the participants and any banner with a political message.
Security has also been reinforced both in the Malmö Arena and in the rest of this city in southern Sweden, where the country’s largest community of Palestinian origin lives and where Palestinian flags rub shoulders with brightly colored pennants.
“The EBU is taking all necessary precautions to make this a safe and united place for all”congratulated himself after the semi-final Eden Golan, who was the subject of threats on social networks.
The neutrality of the tele-hook was shaken up Tuesday during the first semi-final by the Swedish singer Eric Saade, who wore a Palestinian keffiyeh around his arm. A gesture regretted by the EBU and by Swedish public television SVT, who claim the apolitical nature of this popular meeting.
Calls for boycott
Last year, the EBU banned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from speaking at the contest.
This year, the conflict in Ukraine has been overshadowed by the war in Gaza, which began on October 7 when Hamas commandos carried out an attack on Israel that left more than 1,170 people dead, mostly civilians, according to an AFP report. established from official Israeli data.
More than 250 people have been kidnapped and 128 remain captive in Gaza, of whom 36 are believed to have died, according to the army. In response, the Israeli army launched an offensive in Gaza, which has so far left 34,904 dead, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health.
“There must be protests, people must express their opinions, people must boycott”said Magnus Børmark, candidate for Norway with his group Gåte, who, like eight other participants, publicly called for a lasting ceasefire.
Representatives of some countries had considered boycotting the competition to protest Israel’s presence, but ultimately did not follow through.
100,000 visitors expected
Police reinforcements came from all over Sweden but also from Denmark and Norway to secure the competition.
While Sweden raised its alert level last year after acts of desecration of the Koran, “there is no threat against Eurovision”assured Jimmy Modin, a police spokesperson.
For fans – the city expects up to 100,000 visitors on Saturday – “It’s what’s on stage that’s important: the contributions, the artists and the music, not the politics.” believes professor of the history of ideas Andreas Önnerfors, specialist in Eurovision.
Almost seventy years old, this competition which was followed in 2023 by 162 million viewers is “a demonstration of European tolerance not found in other forms or in other places“, he emphasizes.
However, within the Jewish community of Malmö, some plan to leave the city for the weekend.
“With Eurovision, there is something of an intensification. The feeling of insecurity increased after October 7, many Jews are worried”explained a spokesperson, Fredrik Sieradzki.
According to him, the numerous pro-Palestinian demonstrations did not, however, give rise to calls targeting the city’s Jews. Security around the synagogue was nevertheless reinforced and on Thursday a pro-Israeli rally was surrounded by heavily armed police.
