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Israel: Extreme security measures for transportation of Eden Golan to Malmo Arena

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Τoday the second semi final of Eurovision 2024 is happening! 16 countries will compete for 10 tickets for the grand final. Among these entries is Israel with Eden Golan. Eden Golan performed performed yesterday her song “Hurricane” at the dress rehearsal, with some people in the crowd booed the Israeli singer.

Israel: Eden Golan’s appearance at the jury rehearsal of the semi-final was met with disapproval and applause!

According to Swedish media, over a hundred Swedish policemen are transporting the Israeli singer Eden Golan to Malmo Arena in a very long convoy of police cars. A police helicopter is flying above the convoy Eden is competing in the Eurovision Song Contest tonight in a city infamous for its antisemitism.

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Israel: Eden Golan in her first interview before the Second Semi-Final!

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Just before the beginning of the second Semi-Final of today, Israel’s representative Eden Golan gave us an exclusive interview, as she only interviewd in Israeli media.

Eden is very happy and ready for her performance today, after two amazing rehearsals. Of course, she waits Greek people to vote for her and support her!

Watch in the following video the interview of Eden:

Israel will perform in place 14 today in the Second Semi-Final with the song “Hurricane”, having great chances of qualifying.

We wanna thank KAN, Eden’s manager and our colleagues from Euromix for the interview.

Will you think Israel can qualify in the Grand Final?

Stay tuned in Eurovisionfun for all the upcoming news of the contest.!

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Israel: “We will not be silenced” | Kan statement after the Evening Preview show of Eurovision 2024!

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Eden Golan performed her song “Hurricane” at the dress rehearsal for the second Eurovision semifinal earlier today, while some in the crowd booed the Israeli singer.

Israel: Eden Golan’s appearance at the jury rehearsal of the semi-final was met with disapproval and applause!

In response, the Kan public broadcaster issues a statement saying:

“Eden stood on the stage during the dress rehearsal with pride and gave an incredible performance. They did not silence her and they will not silence us. See you tomorrow.”

In a statement, Golan says “I am proud to represent my country, particularly this year. I am receiving support and love and I am determined to give my best performance tomorrow in the semifinal and nothing will deter me from that goal!”

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the updates around the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest!

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Israel: What percentage of Europeans believe that the country should not participate at Eurovision 2024?

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Truth be told, there is a great number of Europeans who firmly believe that Israel should not take part in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, mainly because of their geographical position.

However, the situation in Gaza remains fraught and this has made a plethora of people call for Israel’s excusion from this year’s Contest.

Eurotrack recently conducted a survey asking respondents if Israel should be allowed to participate at Eurovision this year. The exctracted result showcased that many stand by Israel’s exclusion for geographical reasons and not political. What is also interesting is that, among those who intend to watch the show, the percentage of the viewers who claim that Israel should not participate, is significantly smaller compared to the general population.

In each of the seven countries that were taken into account for the survey, 40-59% support that Israel should be banned from entering the Contest, whereas 23-37% claim the opposite.

Despite this, as it was abovementioned, the viewers who are going to watch the show this year present a higher possibility of considering Israel’s participation and being more amenable towards it. Especially the majority of German viewers believe in Israel remaining as a participating country.

Why do Europeans want to see Israel banned from Eurovision?

Of course, Israel is at the center of current affairs with the conflict in Gaza still in progress, and this matter stands as the principal factor for many people across Europe to wish upon the country’s exclusion from the Contest. Is that what motivates the public opinion though?

Yes, to a certain extent. When the respondents of Eurotrack’s survey were asked the reason behind their stance to ban Israel from Eurovision, somewhat between 38% and 65% in each country base their answers on the Middle East conflict. Among those who truly are planning to watch the Contest and think that Israel must be excluded, this argument is supported by 47-69%.

Despite this data, it is still common for people to believe that Israel should not be a part of Eurovision because of where it i geographically located.

In reality, according to the survey, the percentage of people who want Israel to be excluded solely because of the tense in Gaza is around 21-36% and when it comes to Eurovision viewers, 12-20%.

With great polarisation around the matter, we shall see how these percentages will be translated on Israel’s votes in the Contest, especially the televote.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the updates!

Source: yougov

 

 

Eurovision 2024: Which rehearsal had the most views on the fourth day?

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Yesterday, first rehearsals continued dynamically, with the Malmö Arena hosting the last eight countries of the second semifinal! Be sure to also read our article from yesterday regarding the views of the eight countries that completed their rehearsals on Monday.

However, as we know on TikTok, all the first rehearsals are uploaded. Apart from their performances, we’ll also get a sneak peek backstage before they take the stage for the first time in a video of about one minute.

One of the many features of TikTok is the ability to add songs to each user’s video creation. However, the TikTok algorithm is usually able to detect the song used in the video, assign it to the correct track, and then include it in the total number of videos where that sound has been used. Based on this capability, the most popular songs before rehearsals were from the Netherlands and Italy. Will they receive the same promotion as before?

In less than 24 hours (May 1, 2024, time 16:35 CET), since the first clip from the rehearsals was uploaded, we have a indicative sample of which rehearsal was favored by the audience (here it should be noted that the videos were uploaded one after the other with a one and a half hour interval and there was a significant delay in their publication).

The rehearsals that had the most views are:

  1. Netherlands: Joost – Europapa – 1.8 million views
  2. Belgium: Mustii – Before The Party Is Over – 450 thousand views
  3. Georgia: Nutsa – FireFighter – 426 thousand views
  4. Israel: Eden Golan – Hurricane – 415.9 thousand views
  5. Latvia: Dons – Hollow – 297 thousand views
  6. Estonia: 5MIINUST x Puuluup – (Nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi – 206 thousand views
  7. San Marino: Megara – 11:11 – 183.5 thousand views
  8. Norway: Gåte – Ulveham – 178.2 thousand views

With this small sample, we can infer that:

  • The Netherlands is indeed one of the major contenders for victory, hence rightfully gathering so many views. As it has made a huge leap, leaving Belgium behind by four times in views. Joost is expected to soon surpass Greece in views, but for now Marina Satti holds the lead.
  • There is a significant gap between the fourth and fifth positions, indicating that the last four countries did not impress much with their stage presence.
  • It’s surprising that Norway ranks last in views, considering it has the most unique song and vocals of the competition. There is a possibility of a recovery in views since their rehearsal was delayed in being published.

The top five countries with the most views from the four days are as follows:

  1. Greece: Marina Satti – ZARI – 2.3 million views
  2. Netherlands: Joost – Europapa – 1.8 million views
  3. Poland: LUNA – The Tower –1.3 million views
  4. Serbia: Teya Dora – Ramonda – 929.1 thousand views
  5. Ukraine: alyona alyona & Jerry Heil – Teressa & Maria – 876.6 thousand views

TikTok has played a significant role in the success of Eurovision songs in recent years. For example, Duncan Laurence’s winning entry “Arcade” became a global hit a year after winning the competition when it was used in over a million videos on TikTok. One of the earliest TikTok successes from Eurovision was Getter Jaani’s “Rockefeller Street”, which went viral on the platform in 2018 and has since been used in over two million videos. Let’s not forget that Armenia’s entry in 2022 by Rosa Linn with “Snap” gained over a billion views on the platform. Finally, Norway’s entry last year gained significant worldwide publicity months before the competition week, where it secured fifth place.

For detailed information about the rehearsals, you can check out our related articles:

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Stay tuned at EurovisionFun for all the latest developments regarding Eurovision 2024!

Eurovision 2024: Israel’s First Rehearsal!

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Next up on the stage of Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is Israel. Eden Golan with her song “Hurricane” is ready for her first rehearsal on the stage of Malmö Arena!

Who is Eden Golan?

Born in Israel and raised in Israel and Russia, Eden’s talents span singing, songwriting, composing, musical production and dancing.

Starting at the age of 9 years old, she garnered recognition by participating in competitions and winning numerous awards.

The young singer was the lead vocalist in a girl group for two years, captivating audiences on various stages, festivals and TV shows, before joining label and publishing house Session42 at the age of 18. She has tried to represent Russia in Junior Eurovision in 2015 and she was also a finalist on The Voice Kids in 2018.

Eden Golan won HaKokhav HaBa, an Israeli talent show via which the country’s act for Eurovision 2024 was selected. Her song “Hurricane” was selected at a later stage.

The Rehearsal

Next up in the Semi-Final running order will be Italy’s Angelina Mango, who isn’t rehearsing until Thursday. So instead we’re skipping straight to 20-year-old Eden Golan from Israel, singing her power-ballad Hurricane.

Eden isn’t just a talented singer – she’s also a songwriter, composer, producer and dancer. She won Israel’s biggest talent show HaKokhav HaBa (‘The Next Star’) back in February, along with the chance to represent Israel at Eurovision.

On stage we have our second big circular prop of the day – it’s the same style as Latvia’s, but smaller, lit up with neon and featuring a built-in wind machine. It’s also has ladders each side, so it can be used as a support for five dancers – three male, two female – who take their complex contemporary dance routine from around the circle to the front of the stage.

The dancers’ costumes are off-white and grey, to complement Eden’s long flowing dress. The whole performance has the same aesthetic as the official video – and as you’d expect for a song called Hurricane, the LED wall features lots of swirling colour. Our second big ballad of the day, with huge vocals to match. Photos soon!

Israel First Rehearsal Eurovision 2024 Credits: Sarah Louise Bennet / EBU

Israel’s second rehearsal is scheduled for Friday, 3/5. A TV snippet of Eden’s performance will provide a clearer picture of what to expect on the Eurovision stage.

You can watch a small clip from Israel’s first rehearsal from TikTok:

@eurovision @EDEN GOLAN has had her very first run-through of Hurricane as rehearsals continue in Malmö #Eurovision2024 ♬ original sound – Eurovision

 

Source: eurovision.tv

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Eurovision 2024: EBU’s FAQ on Israel’s participation!

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There have been numerous voices calling for Israel to be excluded from the Eurovision Song Contest since the start of the crisis in Gaza in October. Many participating countries have witnessed protests, and many artists who were competing in national selections have expressed doubts and worries about taking part in Eurovision because of Israel’s presence.

But in spite of all the criticism, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) chose to list Israel among the participating nations for Eurovision 2024, a move that incited more criticism.

A press release from the EBU has been prepared to address any frequently asked questions regarding Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2024.

Why is Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest?

The Eurovision Song Contest is open to all members of the European Broadcasting Union which represents broadcasters from right across Europe and the Middle East.

The Israeli public service broadcaster has been a member of the EBU since 1957 and has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest for 50 years.

The Eurovision Song Contest remains a non-political event that unites audiences around the world through music.

Why is Israel still a Member of the EBU when Russia was suspended?

As a non-political organization, the EBU’s role is to support public service broadcasters throughout Europe and the Middle East.

The Israel public service broadcaster has been a member of the EBU for over 60 years. The Russian public service broadcasters had their EBU membership suspended in 2022 due to consistent breaches of membership obligations and the violation of public service media values.

Why is the Israeli entry eligible to compete?

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) can confirm that the official submission from its Israeli Member Kan has been deemed eligible to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest in May.

The Contest’s Reference Group, its governing board, made the decision to accept the song ‘Hurricane’ for the upcoming competition after careful scrutiny of the lyrics.

It was agreed that ‘Hurricane’ met the necessary criteria for participation in accordance with the rules of the competition.

Will there be more security than usual this year, because of the fact the Israel is competing?

We take the safety of attendees and staff at the Eurovision Song Contest very seriously. We continue to work closely with SVT, the City of Malmö, Malmö Arena, the local Police and other law enforcement agencies and feel confident in being able to create a safe event for all participants and visitors in May.

How will the EBU react if there are protests in Malmö?

The EBU is a firm advocate for freedom of speech and the right for people to express their deeply held views and opinions. We understand that people may wish to make their voices heard and support the right of those who wish to demonstrate peacefully.

What does the EBU think about the fact that many people have said they will boycott Eurovision this year, because Israel is allowed to compete?

We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the current conflict in the Middle East but the Eurovision Song Contest’s values of universality, inclusivity and celebrating diversity through music have never been more important. Hundreds of millions around the world share those values and engaged with the event on television and online in 2023. We look forward to being “United By Music” again this year.

EBU’s official response on Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2024 was given back in February by the organization’s General Director, Noel Curran.

A new statement from the EBU confirms Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2024!

Israel will participate in Malmö with Eden Golan and her song “Hurricane“. Eden Golan will perform fourteenth in the second semi-final on May 9.

You can also watch EurovisionFun’s reaction video on “Hurricane“, below:

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!

Source: eurovision.tv

Israel: Eden Golan Meets the Country’s President Yitzhak Herzog

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Ahead of her journey to Malmö for Eurovision 2024, Eden Golan had a special meeting at the presidential palace in Jerusalem with the country’s president, Yitzhak Herzog.

At the presidential residence in Jerusalem, Eden Golan had the honor of meeting with Israel’s president and his spouse. President Yitzhak Herzog expressed his confidence in Eden’s abilities, stating, “Eden’s voice will resonate from one end of the world to the other. I am sure of her capabilities, and I am happy that she will proudly wave the Israeli flag.”

Responding to the president’s warm words, Eden expressed her gratitude, saying,

“We have a truly unique people. I feel immense support from everyone and a warmth that gives me the strength to move forward. It’s amazing that we are like one big family, and we are here for each other. I feel honored to have this privilege, to stand on stage with my voice and show everyone who we are and our beautiful nation.”

Yitzhak Herzog justified his decision to intervene in the Israeli public broadcaster’s affairs when it was claimed that the broadcaster had no intention of changing the lyrics of the song submitted to the EBU. He stated,

“There were those who questioned why the President intervened in Israel’s representation at Eurovision. I reiterate my position: wherever Israel needs to be – it will be! Eden’s voice must be heard, especially when she has such a beautiful voice. We should not be ashamed to showcase our intellectual and cultural strengths.”

The head of the Israeli delegation to the competition, Yoav Tzafir, expressed gratitude to the president, saying,

“We really want to thank you. We all know the difficulties we faced with the song this year. This is a year that has never happened before, and personally, I know about your help. I truly believe that the move you made was very correct. Israel must participate in Eurovision, and if Israel did not participate in Eurovision, then you know, maybe we would be at the Olympics, maybe we would not be at Eurovision, really, thank you very much.”

Eden Golan will compete in the 14th position of the second semi-final of Eurovision 2024 on May 9th with the song “Hurricane.”

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Source: Euromix

Israel: A snippet from the music video of “October Rain”!

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“Hurricane“, Israel’s entry for Eurovision 2024 was released a couple weeks ago. As is widely known, “Hurricane” is the modified version of “October Rain“, which was originally submitted to EBU and was rejected due to its political overtones.

Given the short amount of time available to film a music video, the filming was done using the original version, and when “Hurricane” was officially approved, it was changed to include the new lyrics.

Therefore, Mako released the music video of “October Rain” without the changes made, which is now known as “Hurricane“.

As you can realize, the instrumental remains the same, but the lyrics change. Specifically the lyric:

We got nothing to hide

now is

I got nothing to hide

the word “flowers” is now “empowers”

and most importantly,

Babe promise me that never again, i’ m still wet from this October rain

is replaced by:

i’m still broken from this hurricane.

There were more changes made to the lyrics of the song, in the pre-chorus as the original lyrics were “Life is no game for the cowards”, and now is “Life is no game but it’s ours”.

The lyrics of “October Rain”

Hours and hours and flowers
Life is no game for the cowards
Why does time go wild
Every day I’m losing my mind
Holding on in this mysterious ride

Dancing in the storm
We got nothing to hide
Take me home
And leave the world behind
And I promise you that never again
I’m still wet from this October rain
October rain

Living in a fantasy
Ecstasy
Everything’s meant to be
We shall pass but love will never die

Hours and hours and flowers
Life is no game for the cowards
Why does time go wild
Every day I’m loosing my mind
Holding on in this mysterious ride

Dancing in the storm
We got nothing to hide
Take me home
And leave the world behind
And I promise you that never again
I’m still wet from this October rain
October rain

Israel currently sits on the eight place of the betting odds, while “Hurricane’s” music video has received almost three million views on YouTube. Eden Golan will perform at the second half of the second semi-final on May 9.

You can also watch EurovisionFun’s reaction video on “Hurricane“, below:

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!

Source: Mako

Israel: Increased security measures will be implemented for Malmö!

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Regardless the protests all around Europe calling out Israel’s exclusion from Eurovision 2024 following the war in Gaza Strip and the fear of its entry disqualification due to political overtones, the Middle Eastern country will be present in Malmö as usual.

However, Israel’s participation in Malmö will be different from previous years, and additional security measures will be implemented to ensure the delegation’s safety.

The measures taken

According to euromix.il, the Israeli delegation will be accompanied to Malmö by dozens of security guards in accordance with the safety measures indicated by the Ministries and the General Security Service. It is expected that each member of the delegation will be accompanied by a security guard. As a result, Israel’s delegation this year will be larger than ever before, increasing the country’s participation costs. Moreover, Sweden’s law enforcement will assist Israel, ensuring its members’ safety.

Considering that Malmö is an openly pro-Palestinian city, having a large Muslim immigrant population and in fear of protests, Israel’s public appearances will be restricted to the bear minimum. Eden Golan, Israel’s representative in Eurovision 2024, will not be present at this year’s opening ceremony and will not attend any pre-parties. Security is not the only reason that will keep Israel away from the Opening Ceremony, as it is scheduled on the same day with Holocaust Memorial Day.

The Israeli delegation also fears of the negative response of the audience. Palestinian flags and booing from the audience are a certain possibility, although controversial symbols are strongly prohibited inside the arena by the organizers. As Avi Zeikner, editor of euromix.il, mentions:

Apart from security dangers, it really wouldn’t surprise me if they heard boos when Israel was mentioned or when Aden took the stage. It could be a very unpleasant moment It happened in the past with Russia, and it’s definitely a possibility.

However:

There will be many requests for interviews. Even those who are now threatening to boycott us will want to come to Israel’s press conferences and ask questions about the war.

Everything will be different for Israel this year but the Middle-Eastern country is willing to take the risk.

Not the first time

It is not the first time that Israel is concerned about its delegation’s safety. Since its first appearance on the Eurovision stage in 1973, the security measures have always been strict. Indicatively, the last time the contest was held in Malmö, in 2013, the Israeli delegation was accompanied by security guards and local police forces. Sweden was not the only country to cause uncertainty for Israel. In 2012, when the contest was held in Azerbaijan and in fear of Iranian attacks, the delegation was restricted and Izbo, the country’s participants, were smuggled through side entrances and exits.

Eden Golan will serve as the country’s representative in Malmö. Her song “Hurricane” seems to have been approved by the EBU and will be released on March 10th. Israel will perform at the second half of the second semi-final.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!

Source: euromix.il