Israel's presence still roils Eurovision a year after major protests over the war in Gaza
Entertainment
Raphael’s semifinal performance passed without disruption
BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — Most contestants at the Eurovision Song Contest are seeking as much publicity as possible.
Israel’s Yuval Raphael is keeping a low profile.
The 24-year-old singer has done few media interviews or appearances during Eurovision week, as Israel’s participation in the pan-continental pop music competition draws protests for a second year.
Raphael performed Thursday in the second semifinal at the contest in the Swiss city of Basel, securing enough votes from viewers to secure a place in Saturday’s final with her anthemic song “New Day Will Rise.” Oddsmakers make Raphael, a survivor of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on a music festival in southern Israel that started the Gaza war, one of the favorites to win the contest.
But some would prefer she was not here. A handful of protesters attempted to disrupt a rehearsal by Raphael on Thursday with “oversized flags and whistles,” contest organizers said. Videos on social media appeared to show a large Palestinian flag being extended in the crowd across several people.
Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR, which is organizing the event, said “security personnel were able to quickly identify those involved and escort them out of the hall.”
Raphael’s semifinal performance passed without disruption.
Israel has competed in Eurovision for more than 50 years and won four times. But last year’s event in Sweden drew large demonstrations calling for Israel to be kicked out of the contest over its conduct in the war against Hamas in Gaza.
The Oct. 7 cross-border attacks by Hamas militants killed 1,200 people, and roughly 250 were taken hostage into Gaza. More than 52,800 people in Gaza have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory offensive, according to the territory’s health ministry.
About 200 people, many draped in Palestinian flags, protested in central Basel on Wednesday evening, demanding an end to Israel’s military offensive and the country’s expulsion from Eurovision. They marched in silence down a street noisy with music and Eurovision revelry.
