Eurovision organizers rebuke performer who wore keffiyeh during first semifinal show
EBU expresses ‘regret’ that Swedish-Palestinian singer Eric Saade violated ‘non-political nature’ of contest; Israeli-born singer for Luxembourg qualifies for grand final
Amy Spiro is a reporter and writer with The Times of Israel
The Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, officially began Tuesday evening with the first live semifinal, which went off largely without a hitch — except for an opening act performer who drew a rebuke from organizers for making a political statement.
Eric Saade — a Swedish singer and past Eurovision contestant who was one of the performers invited to take part in the opening act of the show on Tuesday — appeared on stage with his wrist wrapped in a keffiyeh, a Palestinian symbol often used in pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protests.
Saade, whose father is Palestinian, railed against Eurovision organizers last week for their ban on flags and symbols that represent any nation not participating in the contest, including the Palestinians — a policy that has been in place for years. He wrote on social media that the European Broadcasting Union was “disgraceful,” and accused it of disseminating “Israeli propaganda.”
In response to a request for comment by The Times of Israel, the EBU noted that the show is live and that “all performers are made aware of the rules of the contest.” The EBU added that “we regret that Eric Saade chose to compromise the non-political nature of the event.”
Saade did not wear the keffiyeh in his rehearsals for the show. As he is not a contestant in this year’s competition, it is unclear if he will face any repercussions for violating the Eurovision rules.
On its official social media, the Eurovision posted clips of the performances of the other two opening acts — Eleni Foureira and Chanel — but not of Saade’s.
Eurovision organizers have been on high alert for disruptions and protests this week as the competition has been overshadowed by political conflict, with major rallies expected in Malmo against Israel’s participation. The city has significantly beefed up its police presence, including bringing in reinforcements from Denmark and Norway, and has even cleared out local jail cells in case of mass arrests.
The biggest protests are expected on Thursday, when Israel’s Eden Golan will appear in the second semifinal of the competition with her song “Hurricane.” Police have said that no protests will be allowed in the vicinity of the arena.
Golan has been largely confined to her hotel room throughout the week, with a heavy security detail amid a series of threats against the delegation. In an unusual move, the head of the Shin Bet even visited Malmo last week to coordinate security ahead of the event.
At the culmination of Tuesday’s semifinal, 10 nations advanced to Saturday’s grand final, including the Israeli-born singer representing Luxembourg, Tali Golergant, who goes by the mononym Tali.
Luxembourg returned to the competition this year after a 31-year absence with the French and English song “Fighter.” Tali, who was born in Israel and raised in Chile, Argentina and Luxembourg, told The Times of Israel in an interview last month that she has faced online hate over her background, but doesn’t let it affect her.
The other countries that qualified on Tuesday were Ireland, Croatia, Cyprus, Ukraine, Lithuania, Finland, Serbia, Portugal and Slovenia.
In a post-competition press conference, Irish contestant Bambie Thug told reporters that they were forced to change a subliminal message calling for a ceasefire in Gaza after a complaint from organizers.
A question from a local reporter asked the singer about the messages written on their face and leg in Ogham, an ancient Irish language, which read “ceasefire” and “freedom for Palestine.”
In response, they said that they wanted to send that message because “I am pro-justice and pro-peace,” but said that “unfortunately, I had to change those messages… on order from the EBU.”
Twenty-six nations will compete on Saturday evening for the chance to win the top prize at the contest. The betting odds heavily favor Croatia, which has never won the competition before. Israel has won four times, most recently in 2018.
