Entertainment
Israel qualifies for Eurovision grand final in shocking result-Brooke Ivey Johnson-Entertainment – Metro
There were some huge surprises
Eden Golan of Israel is heading to the grand final of Eurovision amid controversy (Picture: AP)
The finalists for the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest were announced following the second semi finals – including Israel’s Eden Golan.
Contestants hailing from sixteen different countries battled to reach the grand final in Malmo, Sweden, on May 11, but only ten made it through to the grand final.
The finalists are: Latvia, Austria, Netherlands, Norway, Armenia, Greece, Estonia, Switzerland, Georgia, and, controversially, Israel.
Stand out performances included Switzerland’s Nemo, who many social media users predicted will win the entire competition, and Greece, who was also a fan favourite among viewers.
But the most resounding sentiment online was outrage at Israel being allowed to compete in Eurovision amid the country’s continued attacks on Palestinians in Gaza.
Golan reacted joyfully to news that she would be moving to the final (Picture: AP)
Golan performed the song Hurricane (Picture: Jessica Gow/TT/Shutterstock)
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Some Eurovision fans have expressed outrage at Golan moving on to the grand final (Picture: REUTERS)
The war against Hamas has killed more than 35,000 people in Palestine, and injured a further 77,000 in Gaza, according to figures obtained by Al Jazeera.
Israel’s contestant, 20-year-old singer Eden Golan, sang the emotional song Hurricane, which was reworked from a previous track called October Rain, which was thought to reference the Hamas attacks on Israel.
Many fans took to social media to speculate that the contest intentionally censored boos and chants of ‘Free Palestine’ during Israel’s performance, after the country’s contestants were nearly drowned out by booing at the Jury Show on May 8. Eurovision has denied these accusations.
Greece was among the lucky ten to move onto the grand finale (Picture: AP)
Pro-Palestine protests have clogged the streets of Malmo since the competition began, adding a decidedly political backdrop to this year’s contest.
The final will take place amid continued backlash on May 11, with a total of 26 countries competing.
The UK, France, Spain, Germany, and Italy are known as The Big Five and automatically get to compete in the final, as they contribute the most money to the competition. Sweden will also automatically move on thanks to their 2023 win.
Switzerland’s Nemo was among fan favourites at the second semi finals(Picture: EPA)
In the first semi final, ten countries secured their spots in the competition while six went home.
Serbia, Portugal, Slovenia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Finland, Cyprus, Croatia, Ireland, and Luxembourg were all selected to move on to the grand final.
It was a night full of stirring moments, including the UK’s Olly Alexander performing a jaw dropping rendition of his song Dizzy surrounded by scantily-clad dancers.
Even more notably, Ireland’s act Bambie Thug blew minds with an iconic performance, qualifying Ireland for the grand finale for the first time in six years.
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