From the Liveblog of
Saturday, May 17, 2025
Ahead of Eurovision final, hundreds in Basel protest Israel’s participation
Amy Spiro is a reporter and writer with The Times of Israel
A few hundred people stage an anti-Israel protest in Basel, Switzerland, ahead of the Eurovision grand final tonight.
The protesters wave Palestinian flags and signs accusing Israel of genocide and calling on the country to be banned from the annual song contest. The protest is not approved by Basel police, who are working to redirect the demonstrators. A small number of pro-Israel counter-demonstrators are also present, waving Israeli flags.
A few hundred anti-Israel activists also marched in a protest on Wednesday in the Swiss city against Israel’s participation in the Eurovision. The rallies have paled in comparison to last year, when thousands of people marched several times in Malmo, Sweden, in protest of Israel’s inclusion.
Israel’s Yuval Raphael, who survived the Hamas massacre at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, is slated to perform fourth in the running order tonight.
The Times of Israel Community.