Faced with the accusations, the delegation refutes any inappropriate behavior. Israeli public television Kan reacted this Thursday, May 16 to the BBC to the accusations it has been subject to since Eurovision 2024 and speaks of “unprecedented manifestations of hatred”.
Israel finished 5th in the competition on May 11 in Malmö (Sweden), represented by the young Eden Golan, with her song “Hurricane”, while Switzerland won with Nemo who performed “The Code”. The participation of the Jewish state in the competition was the subject of numerous controversies, between pro and anti, while several pro-Palestinian demonstrations took place in Sweden at the same time.
The delegation claims to have had “dignified behavior”
Several participating countries and artists claimed that members of the delegation from Israel had behaved inappropriately towards them, something strongly refuted by public television Kan, which coordinates Israel’s participation in the song competition.
“This year, the Israeli delegation faced immense pressure and an unprecedented display of hatred, including from other delegations and artists, publicly and collectively, for the simple reason that we are Israelis and that we are present,” said a spokesperson for the Kan channel in a statement sent to his British counterparts.
“However, throughout the competition, the delegation maintained a dignified and respectful behavior towards the artists and other delegations, striving to promote unity around music while adhering to the rules of the competition, unlike others. “other delegations,” concluded the message, which highlights an anti-Israeli attitude during the competition.
“Incidents” reported by several delegations
Numerous videos were broadcast on social networks during the days preceding the Eurovision final in which members of the Israeli delegation and journalists from Kan television were filming other competitors even though they had expressly agreed to do so. opposites. Joost Klein, the representative of the Netherlands, and Bambie Thug who participated for Ireland were among them. Recording other people’s private conversations without permission is illegal in Sweden, where the competition was held.
During the broadcast of the first semi-final, Israeli commentators also called on viewers to insult Bambie Thug, a practice prohibited by the competition’s rules. In an Instagram story published on his social networks on Saturday, the artist claimed that the Irish delegation had complained to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and that it had been confirmed that it was indeed a ‘a violation of the rules. The Israeli channel’s press release published this Thursday does not provide an answer on this specific point.
Several delegations have made similar reports, including the Netherlands, the Nu.nl site confirmed earlier this week. “We regret that certain delegations present in Malmö did not respect the spirit of the regulations and the competition, both on site and during their broadcasts. We spoke with a number of delegations about various issues that were brought to our attention,” the EBU responded immediately to the Irish daily The Irish Independent.