Eden Golan, a 20-year-old Israeli singer, is currently in Sweden to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. She has faced protests from anti-Israel demonstrators who want Israel to be kicked out of the competition due to their war against Hamas. Golan has been practicing for her performance while being booed to prepare for the competition. Despite the protests, she has made it through to the final competition, which will see her competing against acts from 25 other countries.
During her time in Sweden, Golan has largely stayed out of sight in Malmö, only leaving her hotel for rehearsals and performances at the Malmö Arena. While other performers have taken the stage for fans in a Eurovision park in the city, Golan has not. She has been greeted with a mix of boos and applause from spectators in the arena. Bookmakers predict she is likely to finish in the top half of the final competition, which is decided by a mix of public votes and national music-industry juries.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised Golan for continuing to perform despite facing what he calls an “ugly wave of antisemitism.” Golan’s song, titled “Hurricane,” had to be retitled as it originally contained political content related to the Gaza war. The retitled song speaks about going through tough times and asserts that “love will never die.” Golan was born in Israel to parents from the former Soviet Union and cites artists like Beyoncé and Ariana Grande as inspirations.
Golan spent much of her childhood in Russia and has appeared on TV talent shows there before moving back to Israel. She says it is an honor to represent her country, especially in the current climate. Following the semi-final, Golan said she was overwhelmed with emotions and excited to go on stage once more to share her love with everyone. Despite the protests and controversy surrounding her participation in the competition, Golan remains focused on her performance and representing Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest.
