Israel qualifies for Eurovision grand finale
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Israel qualified for this weekend's Eurovision song contest grand finale, defying thousands of demonstrators marching on Thursday in host country Sweden over the Gaza war.
Singer Eden Golan performed her song "Hurricane" in Thursday's second semi-final in front of 9,000 spectators at the host city's Malmo Arena and booked her place in the final thanks to viewers' votes.
Israel now joins the group of 26 nations that will compete on Saturday in a contest watched around the world by millions of lovers of the pop sounds -- and kitschy shows -- that Eurovision promises each year.
"Well, I feel... I'm so overwhelmed with emotions. It's truly such an honour to be here, on stage performing and showing our voice, and representing us with pride and making it to the finals is something that's crazy," 20-year-old Golan said after securing her place in the final.
Some online betting comparison sites list Golan as among the favourites to win this year's edition, hosted in the birthplace of ABBA.
Other favourites are Baby Lasagna from Croatia, Ukraine's Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil, and Nemo from Switzerland.
Israel made its debut in Eurovision in 1973 and has won the contest four times.
This year, Israel's participation and the choice of song has seen the contest swept up in the wave of pro-Palestinian protests that have brought thousands to the streets of cities in the United States, Europe and beyond.
Golan's song is an adaptation of an earlier version named "October Rain", which she modified after contest organisers deemed it too political because of its apparent allusions to Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7.
Protesters also held up banners that read "Liberate Palestine" and "EUR legitimises genocide".
