Row over Israel's Eurovision slot overshadows run-up to final

Israel's qualification for the Eurovision final triggered fierce debate Friday on the eve of the showpiece event, while the Dutch contestant was mysteriously pulled from rehearsals.

Hours after thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through Malmo in Sweden to protest Israel's participation in the competition Thursday, Russo-Israeli singer Eden Golan made it through to the final.

On Friday, German Culture Minister Claudia Roth denounced as "absolutely unacceptable" calls to boycott Israeli artists.

"Especially in these times, we need more cultural cooperation between Europe and Israel," she posted on X, formerly Twitter.

France's European Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot took a similar line in an interview with Liberation newspaper. "Politics has no place in Eurovision," he insisted.

But in Spain, the far-left Sumar party, part of the coalition government, on Friday launched a petition calling for Israel to be excluded from the competition.

It condemned competition organisers the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for letting Israel participate while "its army is exterminating the Palestinian people and razing its land".

Israel now becomes one of the 26 nations competing Saturday in a contest watched around the world by millions of lovers of the pop sounds -- and kitschy shows.

Some online betting sites list Golan as among the favourites to win this year's edition, along with Baby Lasagna from Croatia, Ukraine's Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil, and Nemo from Switzerland.

- A controversial entry -

There was more controversy backstage after the competition organisers announced that Dutch competitor Joost Klein had been prevented from rehearsing Friday after an unspecified "incident".

"We are currently investigating an incident surrounding the Dutch entry. Klein will not rehearse for the time being," said an EBU statement.

SVT state broadcaster suggested the incident in question had been a confrontation with a photographer.

During rehearsals, Klein had paraded with other participants ahead of the performances but later did not get on stage when it was his turn.

At the end of Thursday's semi-final, the 26-year-old had appeared to object to being placed beside Golan, at several points covering his face with a Dutch flag.

This is not the first time that international conflict has overshadowed Eurovision.

In 2022, Russia's state broadcaster was excluded from the EBU following the invasion of Ukraine.

This year, Israel's participation and the choice of song has sparked fresh controversy.

Golan's song is an adaptation of an earlier version named "October Rain". She modified it after contest organisers deemed it too political because of its apparent allusions to Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7.

Before she qualified for the final, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wished Golan good luck, saying she had "already won" by enduring the protests that he called a "horrible wave of anti-Semitism".

- Thousands join protest -

Golan's presence in the contest has provoked pro-Palestinian protests.

In Malmo on Thursday, more than 10,000 people including climate activist Greta Thunberg gathered in the main square before marching through the city's central pedestrian shopping street, according to police estimates.

Malmo is home to a large immigrant population, including many of Palestinian and other Middle Eastern origins.

"I am a Eurovision fan and it breaks my heart, but I'm boycotting," 30-year-old protester Hilda, who did not want to provide her surname, told AFP.

"I can't have fun knowing that Israel is there participating when all those kids are dying. I think it's just wrong."

Elsewhere in Malmo, about 100 counter-protesters gathered under police protection to express their support for Israel.

The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Militants also took about 250 hostages. Israel estimates 128 of them remain in Gaza, including 36 who officials say are dead.

Israel in response vowed to crush Hamas and launched a military offensive that has killed at least 34,943 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.

Several petitions this year have called for Israel's exclusion from the 68th edition of the competition.

At the end of March, contestants from nine countries, including Swiss favourite Nemo, called for a lasting ceasefire.

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