Israel issues Sweden Eurovision travel warning amid planned protests

Planned protests against Israel taking part in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest have prompted an Israeli warning against travelling to the event, Reuters reports.

Sweden has promised a dazzling show from 7-11 May, but it will take place amid demonstrations over Israel’s genocidal campaign on Gaza, in which more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed, the vast majority children and women.

Protests are expected as Israel takes part in the second semi-final on 9 May and again on the day of the final, 11 May.

Israel’s National Security Council today issued an advisory warning against travel to Malmo, citing “a well-founded concern that terrorist elements will exploit the protests and the anti-Israel mood to carry out attacks against Israelis attending Eurovision.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises the contest, resisted calls for Israel and its contestant, Eden Golan, to be excluded.

Israel was permitted to compete after it agreed to modify the lyrics of its original song “October Rain” which the EBU said made reference to the 7 October Palestinian resistance infiltration of Israeli towns.

Activists have criticised the EBU for not banning Israel from this year’s contest, highlighting that Russia was excluded in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine.

Read: Eurovision Song Contest host Sweden braces for anti-Israel protests