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Israel’s Eden Golan Advances to Eurovision Finals Despite Thousands of Anti-Israel Protesters in Sweden

Eden Golan performing “Hurricane” for Israel at the second semi-final for the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest at Malmo Arena on May 9, 2024. Photo: Corinne Cumming/EBU

Israeli singer Eden Golan on Thursday secured a spot in the finals of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest taking place in Malmö, Sweden, after more than 5,000 people protested earlier in the day about Israel’s participation in the competition.

Golan, 20, competed in Thursday’s second semi-final with a modified song, titled Hurricane. The original version was titled October Rain and referenced the deadly Hamas terrorist attacks on Oct. 7 in southern Israel. However, it was disqualified by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the Eurovision Song Contest, for breaking rules on political neutrality. Israel was forced to change the song’s title and lyrics if it wanted to participate in the contest.

Twenty-six contestants will compete in Saturday’s Eurovision finals. After Swedish singer Loreen won the competition last year with the song Tattoo, Sweden was given hosting duties for this year’s competition and automatically guaranteed a place in the Eurovision finals along with France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, which make the largest financial contributions to the song contest. The remaining 20 countries qualified for the finals after competing in the semi-finals on Tuesday and Thursday.

On Thursday, before Golan performed, roughly 5,000-6,000 anti-Israel demonstrators took to the streets in Malmö, and outside the singer’s hotel room, to protest Israel’s inclusion in the competition and the Jewish state’s ongoing military campaign targeting Hamas terrorists controlling the Gaza Strip. They changed “free, free Palestine” and some demonstrators held banners that read, “Welcome to Genocide song contest” and “stop using Eurovision to whitewash Israeli crimes.”

Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg was among the protesters and wore a keffiyeh draped across her shoulders. “It is outrageous that Israel is allowed to participate,” she said. “We cannot remain silent during a genocide.”

Golan, who reportedly received death threats for competing in the Eurovision, was ordered by Israel’s national security agency Shin Bet to stay in her hotel room during the anti-Israel demonstrations, except to attend her performances.

At a press conference after the semi-finals for those who were advancing to the next round, Polish journalist Szymon Stellmaszyk insinuated that Golan put others in danger by participating in the competition. Golan was visibly taken aback by the comment and told by the host of the press conference that she did not need to respond, but Dutch singer Joost Klein, who was sitting next to Golan on stage, interrupted and said, “Why not?” Golan ultimately chose to answer Stellmaszyk and said, “I think we’re all here for one reason and one reason only. And the EBU is taking all safety precautions to make this a safe and united place for everyone.” Greece’s representative in the Eurovision, Marina Satti, was later criticized on social media for her “immature” behavior on stage while Golan was speaking at the press conference.

The EBU more than once defended its decision to allow Israel to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest this year, explaining last week that the Eurovision is “a non-political music event” and “not a contest between governments.” The EBU also condemned the social media abuse and harassment that Eurovision contestants have faced for not pulling out of the competition as a way to boycott Israel’s participation. Anti-Israel activists unsuccessfully attempted for several months to convince artists to withdraw from the song contest.

At Tuesday’s semi-final, Eric Saade, whose father is Palestinian and from Lebanon, wore a keffiyeh around his wrist while performing his 2011 Eurovision entry Popular. The keffiyeh, a headscarf traditionally worn by Palestinians, has become known as a symbol of solidarity with Palestinian opposition to Israel. The EBU later said Saade compromised “the non-political nature of the event.”

Ireland’s entry, Bambie Thug, was also told to remove makeup from their face and legs that spelled out “ceasefire” and “freedom for Palestine” in a medieval Celtic script, according to The Irish Times.

An audience member who waved a Palestinian flag while Golan performed in the semi-finals on Thursday was removed from Malmö Arena by security.

Another Eurovision contestant, Finish singer Käärijä, received thousands of hateful comments after a video was posted online of him dancing with Golan to the point where he then took to his Instagram Story on Wednesday to explain his appearance with the Israeli singer.

A message that Käärijä wrote on his Instagram Story after receiving hate messages for dancing with Eden Golan. Photo: Screenshot

Golan was booed by audience members during her dress rehearsal on Wednesday and shortly afterward, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video message in support of the singer.

“You’re competing not just in the Eurovision in a proud and very impressive manner, but you are competing successfully in the face of an ugly wave of antisemitism — and you are standing up to it and representing the State of Israel with huge honor,” he said.

In the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, Israel’s representative, Noa Kirel, came in third place.

Watch Golan’s performance of Hurricane in the Eurovision semi-finals below.

עדן בביצוע בלתי נשכח pic.twitter.com/KabXoC1oHo

— כאן (@kann) May 9, 2024

The post Israel’s Eden Golan Advances to Eurovision Finals Despite Thousands of Anti-Israel Protesters in Sweden first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Israeli Artists Denied US Visas Allegedly Due to Song Lyrics Condemning Hamas Leaders and Supporters

Israeli rap duo Ness Ve Stilla. Photo: YouTube screenshot

Four Israeli artists were refused visas to perform in the United States over the weekend allegedly because of controversy surrounding a song by one of the scheduled acts, Israel’s Channel 12 News reported.

Rap duo Ness Ve Stilla, Lior Narkis, and Chaim Osadon, star of the kid’s show “The Crazy World of Dod Chaim,” were scheduled to perform on Sunday at an Israel solidarity concert in Florida sponsored by the Consulate-General of Israel in Miami.

Ness Ve Stilla, whose real names are Nessya Levi and Dor Soroker, told Israel’s Channel 12 that officials in the US gave them the impression that all four artists were denied visas because of the duo’s song “Harbu Darbu,” which they released last year following the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel. All four artists submitted one joint visa application and were therefore rejected jointly, the Israeli publication Mako reported.

In “Harbu Darbu,” Ness and Stilla call for revenge against Hamas and Hezbollah — both Iran-backed terrorist groups — and threaten model Bella Hadid, singer Dua Lipa, and former Playboy model Mia Khalifa, all of whom have condemned Israel. The rappers name Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and top Hamas officials Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh, saying “every dog’s day will come.”

“Everyone who planned, everyone who supported, everyone who carried out, everyone who murdered, every bad person gets his punishment in the end,” they rap in the song. Ness and Stilla also describe pro-Palestinian supporters in the song as the “Children of Amalek,” which is a reference to the ancient tribe that tried to destroy the Israelites. Ness raps: “Left, right, left, impressive how the whole country put on uniforms from the Galilee to Eilat … We brought the whole army on you and I swear there will be no forgiveness.”

“One, two, shoot,” Levi sings. “Get your asses ready, ’cause it’s the air force, feel the vibration all the way to Tel Aviv; all the girls stare at the soldiers, and that guy on the news suddenly seems handsome to me … For mom and dad, for all my friends in the front line; one for grandpa and grandma; we write their names on the shells.”

Narkis confirmed in an Instagram post on Friday that he was denied a visa to perform in Florida. He wrote that “even though I’m already here [in the United States], I am being prevented from holding the performances that were planned due to bureaucratic reasons.”

“We were promised that we will receive an artist visa that we can perform legally,” he added. “Until that moment the requested approval was not received. Unfortunately we are forced to postpone all the shows in the USA.”

Narkis eventually was able to secure permission to perform in Miami on Sunday and took to the stage at Miramar Regional Park. He also announced on Instagram that he was able to organize two concerts in Los Angeles.

The post Israeli Artists Denied US Visas Allegedly Due to Song Lyrics Condemning Hamas Leaders and Supporters first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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‘Jew-Haters Spice Up the Show’: Jerry Seinfeld Responds After Anti-Israel Protesters Disrupt His Stand-Up Show

Jerry Seinfeld attends the premiere of Netflix’s “Unfrosted” at the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles, California, US, April 30, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/David Swanson/File Photo

One of Jerry Seinfeld’s stand-up shows on Saturday night was interrupted by anti-Israel protesters who heckled the Jewish comedian for supporting Israel before being escorted out of the venue by security.

Seinfeld had two back-to-back performances in Chrysler Hall in Norfolk, Virginia, on Saturday. In the middle of one show, a pro-Hamas protester stood up in the audience and yelled “Free Gaza” before calling the “Seinfeld” creator a “genocide supporter,” according to TMZ, which obtained a video from the scene. The protester yelled, “How dare you support a genocide! Save the children of Gaza! No more American tax dollars for genocide!” He also shouted to the audience, “You should be ashamed of yourself! You should all be ashamed of yourselves!”

Seinfeld has openly expressed support for Israel amid its ongoing war against Hamas terrorists controlling the Gaza Strip — a military campaign that was launched in response to the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas massacre in southern Israel. Two days after the attack, Seinfeld wrote in an Instagram post, “I will always stand with Israel and the Jewish people.” He also visited Israel with his family late last year to witness firsthand the atrocities committed on Oct. 7 and to meet with Israelis impacted by the Hamas attacks.

Audience members at Seinfeld’s show on Saturday night who were upset by the disturbance booed the protester and demanded that he “shut up and get out.” Video from the scene shows a man fighting with the protester and putting the latter in a headlock before security escorted the protester out of the venue. The crowd chanted “Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!” as the protester left.

During the ordeal, Seinfeld sarcastically commented from on stage, “This is fun. I like this. I think your message is really resonating with the crowd. People seem to be on your side.”

“I like it when the Jew-haters spice up the show,” he also joked, which elicited applause from the audience.

Roughly eight demonstrators disturbed Seinfeld’s show throughout the night before they were all escorted out by security, according to TMZ. Eyewitnesses told the news outlet that Seinfeld told his audience not to boo the protester because he had the right to protest.

The show’s producer, SevenVenues, said in a statement it is “deeply disappointed” in the group of protesters that interrupted Seinfeld’s performance.

“SevenVenues stands by its policy to remove hecklers and those who disrupt a performance, and will continue to protect the freedom of its patrons to enjoy an artist of their choosing without disruption,” it added.

During Seinfeld’s commencement speech at Duke University earlier this month, where he accepted his honorary degree, anti-Israel protesters staged a walk-out shortly after he was introduced on stage.

The post ‘Jew-Haters Spice Up the Show’: Jerry Seinfeld Responds After Anti-Israel Protesters Disrupt His Stand-Up Show first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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The UN Endorsed Hamas’ Terror Tactics; Its Slippery Slope Is Now a Chasm

Delegates react to the results during the United Nations General Assembly vote on a draft resolution that would recognize the Palestinians as qualified to become a full UN member, in New York City, US, May 10, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Less than two miles away from the glitz and glamor of Broadway, there is another show taking place — theatre of the absurd.

When the United Nations General Assembly passed yet another “Palestine” resolution on May 10, 2024, it demonstrated that the immoral slippery slope that the UN has been on for years, is now a cliff. Common sense, logic, decency, and morality have fallen into the abyss.

Although the UN is nominally the global body in charge of peacemaking and conflict resolution, this anti-Israel resolution actually makes peace and reconciliation less likely than ever before.

Practically, the resolution itself was meaningless. It is designed to promote the recognition of a Palestinian state by upgrading the rights of the non-member observer “State of Palestine” in the United Nations — with an eventual goal of achieving full membership and statehood, something that can only be granted through a UN Security Council resolution.

However, that stunt was already tried on April 18, and was vetoed by the United States. In a dig at the US, the May 10 resolution expressed “deep regret and concern” that “one negative vote by a permanent member of the Security Council prevented the adoption of the draft resolution.”

The additional rights granted to the Palestinians are window dressing without any real substance. For example, the Palestinians will now be able to make statements and submit proposals on behalf of a group at the General Assembly, and the “State of Palestine” can now be seated among member states in alphabetical order.

But for all the self-congratulatory backslapping about another lopsided resolution being passed, the Palestinians still remain observers without the right to vote or be appointed to any major UN body, including the Security Council, UNESCO or the Human Rights Council.

Yet, despite the ineffectiveness of this resolution, its intent was clearly to internationalize the conflict and place further pressure on Israel to accept a Palestinian state, bypassing both negotiations and any obligation on the Palestinians to agree to live in peace alongside Israel.

This has long been the goal of the Palestinian leadership, who have rejected every peace deal or offer ever made to them since even before 1947, often resorting to violence and terror in response.

Unfortunately, 143 countries chose to uphold that rejectionist approach, while only 9 countries showed moral fortitude by rejecting it; a further 25 others abstained.

Among the countries supporting this farce were liberal democracies like New Zealand and Australia which, rather than taking a constructive approach to actually encourage peacemaking and negotiations, decided to throw in their lot with dictatorships like China, Russia, and Iran instead.

They naively argued that supporting the resolution will lead to momentum for their desired goal of a two-state-solution. Yet sadly, in doing so, intentionally or not, they endorsed rewarding terror with concessions. If the brutal actions of October 7 were to act as the catalyst leading to the creation of a non-negotiated Palestinian state, this will only encourage more terror and violence — not just in Israel, but around the world.

The message of October 7, apparently, is that terrorism works.

The UN took the worst massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust — and Israel’s war of survival that was launched in defense — and used this as an excuse to call for a Palestinian state.

The Palestinian Authority (PA), whose UN ambassador referred to Hamas as his brothers, has not condemned, even once, what happened on October 7 as a terror attack. Yet the PA is now reaping the benefits of the terror war that Hamas unleashed.

Hamas, which utterly rejects any peaceful two-state-solution, also welcomed the resolution, calling it “an affirmation of the international rally around our people.”

Yet this supposed concern for the Palestinian “people” is pretty ironic considering Hamas uses them as human shields, and is responsible for the many thousands of Palestinian civilians killed since it deliberately launched its terror war.

The UN is supposed to promote global peace and security, but in reality, it is frequently a conduit for the interests and ideologies of the worst dictatorships and human rights violators.

Shamefully, but unsurprisingly, the UN has yet to condemn Hamas — and the Security Council only held its first meeting dedicated to Israeli hostages seven long months after they were stolen. More and more, the UN is cementing its position as the world’s useful idiot, providing legitimacy to causes that deserve no legitimacy at all.

Justin Amler is a Policy Analyst at the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC). 

The post The UN Endorsed Hamas’ Terror Tactics; Its Slippery Slope Is Now a Chasm first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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