Date: May 11th, 2024 8:18 PM
Author: Alcoholic crawly persian dilemma
Israel’s Eden Golan places fifth at the Eurovision Song Contest
Golan received a staggering 323 points from the public vote
Eurovision 2024 semi-finals: Detailed results show Croatia and Israel won each show
MALMÖ, Sweden — Israel’s Eden Golan placed fifth Saturday night at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 amid boos and protests from critics of her country and its prosecution of the war in Gaza.
Switzerland’s Nemo won the contest with their song “The Code,” becoming Eurovision’s first nonbinary champion, and said in accepting the trophy that they hope that Eurovision will continue to “stand up for peace.”
At a post-show press conference, a journalist asked Nemo how the intense political environment around this year’s Eurovision had affected their experience. “I have to say this whole experience was really intense, and not just pleasant all the way,” they said. “There were a lot of things that didn’t seem like it was all about love and unity,” adding that Eurovision’s commitment to “peace and love” “needs a lot of work still.”
Croatia’s Baby Lasagna came second with “Rim Tim Tagi Dim.”
Golan, whose performance in the final was met by a mix of boos and cheers in the arena, was awarded 375 points: 52 from the jury and 323 from the public — second only to Croatia’s entry, which earned 337.
Israel ranked 12th out of 25 competitors after the jury vote; national juries that awarded Golan points included Malta, Norway, Germany, Georgia, Moldova, Estonia, France, Belgium, Latvia, Cyprus and Lithuania.
Golan was visibly emotional after completing her performance, falling onto a green room couch in tears as her backup dancers hugged her.
Protesters chanting “Israel is a terror state” had greeted fans as they waited to enter Malmö Arena to watch the final Saturday, and inside, several participants in the contest slluded to the war.
Ireland’s Bambie Thug, who has been an outspoken critic of Eurovision allowing Israel to compete this year, ended their performance by saying: “Love will always triumph over hate.” Portugal’s Iolanda closed hers with: “Peace will prevail.” And the Austrian representative who delivered his country’s jury results, wearing a T-shirt with the slogan “Equality,” commented that Eurovision is particularly important at a time when “Heartlessness seems to have prevailed.”
The Israeli representative who announced the Israeli jury’s top pick, meanwhile, was met with boos in the arena. It was Luxembourg’s Tali Golergant, who was born in Jerusalem and has a brother who served in Gaza with the Israel Defense Forces.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5527618&forum_id=2#47654575)