Respond to prefers-color-scheme dark in app web views

Follow section front redirects in Spectrum

Enable NLP source in PCS for load testing

Switch off the News Alerts Survey Widget when we have enough responses

Poll to determine if new LUF updates are available

Allows the winning A/B test variant to be turned on without Spectrum deployment

Show infinite scrolling sections in Assembler MultiView

Show option for NLP article summaries in Action Bar

Show NLP summaries collection recirc on article pages

A general feature flag for Recipe Features that aren't yet released

Feature flag for media team features that aren't yet released

Use new Orca video player for preroll plugin in Spectrum

Show the snow tracker (instead of the heat tracker) on Spectrum

The other side of Punta Cana: A crackdown on Haitians

Top White House aide to meet Netanyahu, who is under political pressure

Live updates: Rescuers struggle to find helicopter carrying Iranian president

Blue Origin to fly again as space tourism struggles to get off the ground

Why this company’s biggest fans turned against it

These ISIS news anchors are AI fakes. Their propaganda is real.

The world’s coolest hotels want to tell you a story

6 Airbnb red flags to spot before you make a booking mistake

Flying budget airlines might not be as cheap as it seems

The problem with diversity statements — and what to do about them

Russia shows resilience. There is more to do for Ukraine.

Trump promises tax cuts and fewer rules. CEOs shouldn’t fall for it.

Kyle Finnegan’s rare hiccup helps Phillies to a 4-3 win in 10 innings

Joey Gallo returns, but Nats endure another quiet offensive night

Walter Johnson’s jersey from 1920 showdown with Babe Ruth sold at auction

How Jim Jordan tried to connect the dots on Biden’s $8 million book deal

Biden’s false claim that inflation was 9 percent when he took office

Did Obamacare ‘massively’ increase the cost of health care?

Would you eat this weird sandwich? Barry Enderwick would. 

She finished chemo then got a medical degree: ‘The dream is real now’

Puppy abandoned with heart-rending note is adopted, named Minerva

‘Never Trump?’ ‘Never Biden’ voters might loom larger.

Lawyer preparation suggests Trump won’t testify in New York trial

In photos: The 149th running of the Preakness Stakes

Book Tour: At home with Amor Towles

Gov. Doug Burgum speaks in support of Trump

Carolyn Hax: Friends say to break other plans to avoid offending new man

Ask Amy: Should my husband get a say in what I do with my inheritance?

Ask Amy: Can’t a single woman eat alone without interruption?

Trump

Zoeann Murphy

MALMO, Sweden — Thousands of demonstrators waving Palestinian flags flooded Sweden’s third-largest city Thursday to<b> </b>call for a cease-fire<b> </b>in Gaza and protest Israel’s participation in the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/05/07/eurovision-2024-song-contest-malmo/" target="_blank">Eurovision Song Contest</a> here this week.

The annual celebration of music and kitsch, watched by more than 150 million people, is often enmeshed in politics. But some observers say this is the most politically charged edition of the contest in its 68-year history.

Israel’s entry, “Hurricane,” sung by 20-year-old Eden Golan, secured a spot in Saturday’s final by finishing in the top 10 of the second semifinal Thursday night. For weeks, though, artists and activists have been calling on Eurovision to ban Israel over its <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/israel-hamas-war/" target="_blank" class="contextual_link">war in Gaza</a>.

The sound of police helicopters circling over downtown Malmo on Thursday afternoon was drowned out by chants of “Eurovision shame on you! Blood is on your hands, too!”

Jenny Oberg, 49, had traveled from Stockholm, the Swedish capital, to join the protest. “Thousands have died,” she said as smoke from flares spread over the crowd. “It doesn’t matter if this is the Olympics, or whatever event. If you kill 40,000 people, you shouldn’t be participating.”

Martin Meissner

As protesters wearing black-and-white kaffiyehs set off on their march, Eurovision revelers in sequins and flag-themed outfits wandered through neighboring streets.

Sweden was already on heightened alert, anticipating the possibility of attacks in response to its <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/07/sweden-joins-nato/" target=_blank>accession to NATO</a> in March, as well as a spate of Quran burnings. Security in Malmo this week is tight, with a visible increase of officers on patrol — on foot, in vans and on horseback.

“We have prepared for every conceivable scenario,” said Jimmy Modin, a spokesman for the police.

Death threats against Golan prompted the contest organizer, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), to issue a statement last month <a href="https://eurovision.tv/mediacentre/release/ebu-statement-esc-2024-artists" target=_blank>condemning harassment</a> of participants. Israeli media <a href="https://www.ynet.co.il/entertainment/article/h1z100udzr" target=_blank>reported that Ronen Bar</a>, head of the Shin Bet secret service, visited Malmo last week to inspect security arrangements for the country’s delegation.

The vast majority of the protests have focused on Golan as Israel’s representative. Yet she is also a rare case of someone who has been a target of criticism related to two conflicts.

Golan is Israeli. She was born in the central city of Kfar Saba, to a Ukrainian mother and Latvian father. But until two years ago and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she was a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cosmosgirlsmusic/posts/pfbid02uuvtGHSb3Gqn6pn6X93qVxfAVS7RGrMFV4xPdEKmv81ALtYWjwEGdHSJUtRQtYp6l" target=_blank>pop star</a> in Russia.

Jessica Gow

She has recounted in interviews that her family moved to Moscow for her father’s work when she was 6. According to Russian business records and his LinkedIn profile, Eddie Golan served for six years as chairman of the board of directors of Sovcombank, one of Russia’s 13 “systemically important” credit institutions that later became the subject of international sanctions. He was also a board member for a Russia-based leasing company and a private-equity firm.

Golan has talked about <a href="https://www.israelhayom.com/2024/04/22/my-participation-is-part-of-a-very-important-mission-eden-golan-gets-ready-for-malmo-showdown/" target=_blank>speaking Hebrew</a> at home in Moscow and being treated as an outsider because of her <a href="https://www.mako.co.il/tv-the-next-star/season10-articles/Article-e63d0715f646d81027.htm" target=_blank>Israeli-sounding name</a>. But when she was 10 years old and began competing in song contests, she was embraced in Russia for her remarkable voice.

Some Ukrainians have <a href="https://gordonua.com/bulvar/news/evrovidenie-2024-izrail-predstavit-pevitsa-kotoraja-zhila-v-moskve-i-vystupala-v-anneksirovannom-krymu-1697156.html" target=_blank>criticized her</a> for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi1523vbywQ&t=165s" target=_blank>performing in occupied Crimea</a> and not speaking out, though others point out that she was a child at the time. Her pop group <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_jC7HN6Xo0" target=_blank>Cosmos Girls</a> was produced by Grigory Leps, a committed supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s incursions into Ukraine.

COSMOS girls — Частоты | Премьера клипа 2019

Shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion two years ago, Golan and her family moved back to Israel.

She earned her place in Eurovision by <a href="https://eurovision.tv/story/eden-golan-wins-hakokhav-haba-israel" target=_blank>winning</a> the Israeli TV competition “Rising Star” in February. Wearing a yellow ribbon pin, on a stage surrounded by empty chairs, she dedicated a finale performance of Aerosmith’s “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7NSjsWFlvw" target=_blank>I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing</a>” to the hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7.

On the sidelines of Thursday’s protest, members of the Danish Eurovision fan club waited for their dinner reservation.

“I believe in freedom of speech and demonstration, but I don’t think this is the right place. The slogan is ‘United by Music,’” said Danish fan Louise Jensby, 53. “I feel really sorry for Eden Golan. She’s just a 20-year-old. She isn’t responsible for what’s going on.”

The song Golan is singing at Eurovision was initially titled “<a href="https://www.kan.org.il/content/kan-news/culture/709196/" target=_blank>October Rain</a>.” It opened with an appeal, “Writers of the history/ Stand with me,” and it included a chorus of “And I promise you that never again/ I’m still wet from this October rain.” Israel’s culture minister said it represented the <a href="https://www.kan.org.il/content/kan-news/culture/709004/" target=_blank>feelings of the country</a>.

But Eurovision organizers deemed it a violation of a rule against politicized lyrics. Only after an intervention from President Isaac Herzog did Israeli broadcaster Kan agree to “<a href="https://www.kan.org.il/content/kan-news/culture/718878/" target=_blank>necessary adjustments</a>.” Among the changes, the song now opens with, “Writers of my symphony/ Play with me,” and the chorus says, “Baby, promise me that you’ll hold me again/ I’m still broken from this hurricane.”

Eden Golan - Hurricane | Israel 🇮🇱 | Official Music Video | Eurovision 2024

The opposition to Israel being part of Eurovision has continued. Artists from <a href="https://www.aftonbladet.se/debatt/a/8JggVr/1005-artister-uteslut-israel-fran-eurovision" target=_blank>Sweden</a>, Finland and Iceland were among those who called for a boycott — prompting other artists to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C5GBEH9NgmU/" target=_blank>defend their own participation</a> and the contest organizers to defend Israel’s inclusion.

“Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political music event and a competition between public service broadcasters who are members of the EBU. It is not a contest between governments,” EBU Director General <a href="https://eurovision.tv/mediacentre/frequently-asked-questions-israel-24" target=_blank>Noel Curran said in a statement</a>.

Critics decry what they see as a double standard, given the decision to ban Russia from Eurovision shortly after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

At Thursday’s demonstration, Mahmud Mustafa, 28, whose wife is Palestinian, said Israel’s participation is a “normalization” of the conditions in Gaza.

“After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EBU was quick to say ‘no.’ But it’s not the same for Israel.”

At the time, organizers said the inclusion of a Russian entry would “bring the competition into disrepute.” This year, Curran added that the cases were different because Russian broadcasters had violated their membership obligations.

Organizers have said that any Palestinian flags or pro-Palestinian signs would be removed from at the venue in Malmo.

The EBU on Tuesday rebuked 2011 Swedish entrant Eric Saade after he wore a kaffiyeh around his wrist during the opening performance of the first semifinal. Eurovision bosses said Tuesday that they “regret” that Saade — who is of Palestinian descent — “chose to compromise the non-political nature of the event.”

Irish contestant Bambie Thug was also ordered to remove the words “cease-fire” and “Freedom for Palestine” — written in the ancient language Ogham — from their face makeup after a dress rehearsal.

Eurovision winners are determined based on a combination of votes cast by fans and rankings determined by juries of musical professionals in each participating country. People in nonparticipating countries can cast votes via <a href="https://eurovision.tv/vote" target=_blank>app or website</a> in the 24 hours before each semifinal and the final. But their collective vote has the weight of only one additional country. People in the audience or at home may also try to penalize Israel in the voting at Saturday’s final.

“We’re all going to be looking out for the votes that Israel gets,” Eurovision historian Dean Vuletic said.

On the night of Saturday’s final, pro-Palestinian protesters have organized an alternative “FalastinVision — The Genocide-Free Song Contest.”

Johan Nilsson

Around 200 people gathered in Davidshall square Thursday evening, waving Swedish and Israeli flags in support of Golan and the victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.

“We think it’s distasteful to welcome Ms. Golan with hate and demonstrations,” said Jehoshua Kaufman, 67. As Israeli’s 1983 entry “Chai” (Alive) by Ofra Haza blasted from the speakers, some joined hands and danced in a circle.

After booing in the audience at Wednesday’s dress rehearsal, Leila Hashtroudi, 43, said she was “concerned” for Golan. “I have to show that not everyone here is like that,” she said.

Kaufman said people in the city’s people Jewish community were being extra-cautious amid the heightened tensions.

“Everyone is taking more care and looking over their shoulders. They’re being careful when they go to synagogue or to the community center.”

Although most Eurovision countries are in Europe, Israel is eligible to participate because its national broadcaster is an active member of the EBU. Since 1973, Israel has competed in Eurovision 45 times and won four.

When Tel Aviv hosted five years ago, officials slammed a guest appearance by Madonna in which two backup dancers appeared with Israeli and Palestinian flags on their backs. The Icelandic delegation was also fined after holding up scarves bearing the Palestinian flag during the distribution of points.

University of Leeds, UK, BA in German and French

News Associates School of Journalism, Manchester, UK, NCTJ Multimedia Journalism Diploma

Kate Brady is a researcher and reporter based in The Washington Post's Berlin bureau. She has been at The Post since early 2023 and has been reporting from Germany for the best part of a decade.

Kate Brady

washpost

Eurovision protesters in Malmo, Sweden, object to Israel’s Eden Golan

the-washington-post

Sweden Eurovision Israel

War In Ukraine

Africa

Americas

Asia

Europe

Middle East

World

prism://prism.query/site,/world/europe&limit=20

The Washington Post provides the latest information and analysis on UK and European news. Includes news from the European Union, European commission news and European parliament news.

prism://prism.query/site-articles-only,/world/&limit=20

The Washington Post World section provides information and analysis of breaking world news stories. In addition to our world news and video, Post World News offers discussions and blogs on major international news and economic issues.

prism://prism.query/ap-articles-by-site-id,/world

prism://prism.query/arts-music-feed/&limit=20

Music

Music - The Washington Post

Coverage of music from The Washington Post. The latest headlines, breaking news, in-depth coverage and reviews of music.

prism://prism.query/site,/entertainment&limit=20

Arts & Entertainments

The latest news on entertainments and arts from The Washington Post. Breaking news and in-depth coverage of movies, music, tv, art, theater and video games.