Belgian public VRT television interrupted its broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest Thursday night in Malmo, Sweden, to condemn ‘’Israel’s violations of human rights and press freedom’’ and call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Shortly before the performance of Israeli candidate Eden Golan, VRT, which broadcasts in Flemish, interrupted the second semi-final of Eurovision with a still image on which was written : “This is a trade union action. We condemn the human rights violations of the Israeli state. Additionally, Israel is destroying press freedom. Therefore, we are taking a temporary break from our broadcast. Now, ceasefire,” it said.
According to reports, members of the Socialist trade union VRT were responsible for the anti-Israel action. The union had already called for a boycott in 2019 when the Eurovision song contest took place in Tel Aviv.
The television management had been informed in advance about the action on Thursday, according to Belgian media. It was rerported that one of the union members, Wies Descheemaeker, is the son of cartoonist Luc Descheemaeker who won a special prize at a cartoon competition in Tehran in 2016 for an anti-Israeli cartoon that used the Auschwitz sign “Arbeit macht frei” (“Work makes you free”).
Two Belgian ministers had previously expressed their belief that Israel should not participate in the Eurovision as long as its attacks on civilians in Gaza continued.
But despite this anti-Israel pressure and the challenges, Israeli Eden Golan triumphed with her song ‘’Hurricane’’ and qualified for the final which will take place Saturday night.
Her performance was stirring, powerful and precise, despite the boos by pro-Palestinians who tried to drown out her voice only to have their own noise canceled by organizers, who turned off the crowd’s microphones.
Immediately after qualifying for the finals, Eurovision betting sites elevated Golan’s ranking to second place in Saturday’s fina.
The countries who advanced to the finals from Thursday’s semifinal are Latvia, Austria, Netherlands, Norway, Israel, Greece, Estonia, Switzerland, Georgia and Armenia. Belgiium was eliminated.
As expected, upon Golan’s entrance to the stage, boos were heard, and although not many Palestinian flags were visible, one person was removed from the venue by security personnel. Massive protests took place outside the venue; Golan had to arrive in a convoy of cars with helicopter escorts from above to ensure that she was secure.
According to a leak from the Italian broadcaster RAI, Israel won the semifinal in Italy with 39% of the votes—a strong showing from the home audience.
Eurovision 2024 has been particularly challenging for the Israeli delegation and fans of the competition. All Eurovision-related venues in the city are being heavily secured by hundreds of local police officers. Even at the EuroClub’s dance floor—the official party zone—and in the city’s mall, police officers can be seen patrolling throughout the evening, even when the Israeli delegation is not present. Sharp-eyed observers also noticed snipers positioned on rooftops near the competition area.
Hours before Golan’s performance, thousands of pro-Palestinian activists demonstrated throughout Malmö, demanding the removal of the Israeli delegation. Protesters called for the liberation of “Palestine.”
The chants resonated across Malmö, with demonstrations at several central locations. Among others, environmental activist Greta Thunberg appeared wearing a keffiyeh alongside holders of Palestinian flags.
Many fans chose not to attend the competition due to safety concerns. Those who did attend remained cautious, avoiding confrontations, but did not hesitate to wave the Israeli flag during Golan’s performance.
