The organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest have stated that it is “unacceptable and totally unfair” for artists to be harassed and abused because of Israel’s participation in the competition. Although there have been calls for Israel to be barred due to the conflict in Gaza, the tournament for this year will take place in Sweden in the month of May.
A number of participants, like Olly Alexander from the United Kingdom, have responded negatively to requests for them to walk away from the program. Furthermore, it has been stated that the Eden Golan region of Israel has been subjected to death threats.
According to Walla Celebs, a celebrity website, the young woman, who is twenty years old, has received multiple messages that have been sent directly to her Instagram account. It was reported by the Jerusalem Post that the singer would arrive in Malmo, Sweden, accompanied by “three times” the typical amount of security personnel.
The European Broadcasting Union, which is responsible for organizing Eurovision, issued a statement in which it acknowledged “the depth of feeling and the strong opinions that this year’s Eurovision song contest – set against the backdrop of a terrible war in the Middle East – has provoked.”
“While we strongly support freedom of speech and the right to express opinions in a democratic society, we firmly oppose any form of online abuse, hate speech, or harassment directed at our artists or any individuals associated with the contest,” according to the official statement.