The Eurovision Song Contest has got off to a tense start in Vienna as Israel competed in the first semi-final amid a boycott by five countries over the Gaza war.
Moldova, Sweden, Croatia, Greece, Finland, Belgium, Lithuania, Poland, and Serbia also qualified and will compete in the final on Saturday.
Australia’s Delta Goodrem will perform in the second semi-final on Friday.
The contest, traditionally a good-natured celebration of pop music and high camp now in its 70th year, has become mired in crisis over Israel’s military offensive in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023.
The public broadcasters of five countries – Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia – are boycotting this year’s event, making it the smallest since 2003 with 35 entries.
Russia was banned from Eurovision after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but Israel has continued to compete despite disputes.
The tension in the city was palpable on Tuesday ahead of the semi-final, though inside the concert hall where it was held only cheers for Israel were audible during its performance.
“We won’t let ourselves be terrorised into silence,” Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig of the Social Democrats said on Friday in an angry response to a small group of pro-Palestinian protesters who blew whistles at a concert he was speaking at.
“Unfortunately we will need large security measures because of people like you, for example. That will incur great expense, but we will nevertheless hold a festival of togetherness, I can promise you that,” he said.
The joint head of Amnesty International Austria, Shoura Hashemi, said on X that Ludwig should apologise for his “unbearable, false, divisive” remarks aimed at peaceful protesters.
Austrian officialdom is strongly supportive of Israel, and pro-Palestinian protests are small. A handful of protests are planned this week, with attendance estimated at up to 3000.
A pro-Palestinian protest on Tuesday afternoon initially expected to involve around 500 people fizzled out, only drawing about 30.
Irish broadcaster RTE referred back to its statement in December that it would be “unconscionable” to take part.
Israel’s contestant last year, Yuval Raphael – a survivor of the attack – came second thanks to a massive public vote.
Its contestant this year, Noam Bettan, has no obvious political connotation but did receive a formal warning on Saturday for posting videos instructing the public to vote for him 10 times, the maximum allowed.
Contest director Martin Green told Reuters he hoped those boycotting would return.
“They are members of our family, right? We miss them,” he said.
“We remain in dialogue to see if we can find pathways for them back.”
with PA
