Israel's Eurovision contestant hopes 'music will win out' amid protests
Israel’s participation in this year's Eurovision song contest has caused a storm of protest - but contestant Eden Golan insists its just about the music, ITV News' Arts Editor Nina Nannar reports
At first glance, you’d think Malmö was about to host world leaders for a major summit, not hopeful Eurovision pop stars in sparkly costumes giving it their all on stage.
Heavily armed police on street corners and outside the Eurovision Village in Sweden where fans will congregate do not give off the air of an exuberant pop competition coming to town.
This is all quite a lot for a 20-year-old contestant to carry, but when I meet Eden Golan - Israel’s entry for this year‘s Eurovision - she does not seem deterred or nervous about what is going on around her.
Going to interview her is an interesting process in this politically charged year.
Security is very high and we are searched as if we were going through an airport - but even more thoroughly.
Golan is seems unperturbed by the tall security men we pass in the corridor. Hundreds of news organisations have been chasing an interview with her we are told - and it is little wonder.
Israel’s participation in this year's Eurovision song contest has caused a storm of protest - on the streets and online - with calls for Golan not to be allowed to compete because of Israel’s war in Gaza and the tens of thousands of Palestinians who have been killed.
We are told that she will not talk about the wider political picture as she tells us: "I’m a singer, I create music."
She also insists on not being delusional, well aware of how different this year is, but confident that music will win out.
There are plenty of people who want the music to take a backseat: Around 20,000 people are expected to protest on the day of the Eurovision semi-final on Thursday when Golan will compete.
The pro-Palestinian protesters have left their comments in graffiti on walls, urging the world to remember Gaza, where more than 34,000 people have been killed.
It certainly does not feel much like a host city for Eurovision yet and is in stark contrast to the scenes I experienced in Liverpool last year when the city hosted the competition in place of Ukraine, which because of the ongoing war with Russia was unable to stage the event.
Despite Eurovision claiming to be a politics-free zone, world events have often intruded.
This year is certainly amongst the most intense, and Golan tells me that people should be allowed to think what they want, but she has never been prouder that this is the year she is representing her country.
She is referring to the events of October 7 when Hamas militants killed more than 1,000 Jewish people and kidnapped hundreds more.
She is performing for her traumatised nation, she says, describing this as her mission.
Despite Israel’s National Security Council advising fans not to travel to Malmö because of security fears, she insists there will be hundreds of Israeli fans in the auditorium cheering her on.
I ask her how she would feel when she hears protests outside.
"Nothing will deter me", she responds.
Her song Hurricane is certainly powerful. Originally called October Rain, the lyrics were rewritten after Eurovision organisers said it was too political and clearly referenced the events of October 7.
The lyrics are open to interpretation, she insists.
Israel traditionally performs well at the Eurovision song contest, and there is no denying the power of Golan’s voice.
Whether it is a voice voters in the world are ready to hear will become evident later this week when she takes to the stage hoping to win a place in Saturday’s final.
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