Hours before final, Irish contestant calls for Eden Golan’s ouster from Eurovision
The Kan public broadcaster says that at the request of the European Broadcasting Union, Eden Golan and the rest of Israel’s delegation have been moved to another room at the compound for contestants and their entourages.
A statement from Kan says Golan and the other Israelis “are focused solely on the performance this evening and are making every effort that it be professional and represent Israel in the most honorable and appropriate manner.”
Quoting unnamed members of the delegation, the Ynet news site says the EBU asked the Israelis to move in order to separate Golan from Irish contestant Bambie Thug, “who was mad at Israel.”
Shortly before the Kan announcement, Bambie Thug complained about the Israeli commentators during their performance, claiming their remarks breached the rules of the contest and that Golan should therefore be disqualified.
“I’m angry with other teams breaching their rules of the EBU, and still being allowed in,” Bambie Thug tells Ireland’s RTE. “So there’s definitely a war drum sounding in my heart to push the performance even more than I have done before.”
A spokesperson for RTE says the Irish broadcaster itself did not log a complaint calling for Golan’s ouster, as Bambie Thug is advocating.
Before speaking with RTE, Bambie Thug posted a story to Instagram saying they didn’t do a dress rehearsal due to “a situation while we were waiting to go to stage for the flag parade rehearsal which I felt needed urgent attention from the EBU,” without elaborating on the incident.
“The EBU have taken this matter seriously and we have been in a discussion about what action needs to be taken,” adds Bambie Thug, who before the semifinal said they were forced by the EBU to remove pro-Palestinian writing from their face and leg.
Ireland has been one of the harshest European critics of Israel over its war against Hamas in Gaza, with Bambie Thug saying prior to the contest that “I think if I wasn’t in the competition, I would also be boycotting.”
