Malmö in the colors of a Eurovision darkened by the war in Gaza

(Malmö) On the sidelines of demonstrations against its participation in the Eurovision song contest due to the war in Gaza, Israel qualified Thursday for the tele-hook final where representatives of 26 countries will compete on Saturday in Malmö, in southern Sweden.

Croatia, Switzerland and Ukraine are favorites to succeed the Scandinavian country as winner of this competition watched by tens of millions of viewers each year.

Hurricanethe Israeli title, was 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.

But if inside the room, everything is neon lights, glittering costumes and catchy rhythms, outside, Israel’s participation makes people cringe.

Nearly 12,000 people demonstrated in the host city on Thursday against Israel’s participation in the competition, expressing outrage over the war in Gaza. A new gathering is planned for Saturday, the day of the final.

“This year we are boycotting completely,” said Cecilia Brudell, 31, in the crowd, which also included climate activist Greta Thunberg.

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

Across the city, where a large community of Palestinian origin lives, brightly colored pompoms and pennants rub shoulders with Palestinian flags hanging from windows.

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. It also strengthened security.

“We are all here for one reason and the EBU is taking all the necessary precautions to make this a safe and united place for all,” said the press conference following the semi-final. final Eden Golan, who was the subject of threats on social networks.

Last year, the EBU banned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from speaking at the contest.

The neutrality of the tele-hook was, however, shaken up on Tuesday during the first semi-final by 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.

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, and not politics,” believes the history professor. ideas Andreas Önnerfors, Eurovision specialist.

Almost seventy years old, this competition which was followed in 2023 by 162 million viewers is “a demonstration of European tolerance that we do not find in other forms or in other places”, he underlines.

“It’s a world of its own […] very joyful and colorful, a world in which I feel safe,” said Nemo, a non-binary Swiss artist.

“Politics is everywhere”

However, for Ukrainian artists, “politics is everywhere”. “Every country in the world deserves to be free,” said the Latvian candidate, Dons.

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 Gaza Ministry of Health.

“There must be demonstrations, people must express their opinions, people must boycott,” assures AFP Magnus Børmark, candidate for Norway with his group Gåte, who, like eight other participants, publicly called for a cease. -long-lasting fire.

Representatives of some countries had considered boycotting the competition to protest Israel’s presence, but ultimately did not follow through.

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 directed against Eurovision”, assured Jimmy Modin, a spokesperson for the police.

Within the Jewish community, some plan to leave the city for the weekend.

“With Eurovision, there is a sort of intensification. The feeling of insecurity increased after October 7, many Jews are worried,” explains 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.