Rishi Sunak Slams ‘Outrageous’ Protest After Israel Qualify For Eurovision Final

Eden Golan from Israel performs “Hurricane” on stage at the Eurovision Song Contest rehearsal.
(Photo by: Jens B’ttner/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak blasted calls to boycott the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest final as “outrageous” after pro-Palestine activists voiced opposition to Israeli singer Eden Golan’s entry into the final.

Echoing comments by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Sunak specifically critiqued the demonstrations in Sweden. Around 12,000 pro-Palestine protesters joined by environmental activist Greta Thurnberg marched through Malmö on Thursday, where the final will take place on Saturday.

A Downing Street spokesperson said Friday: “The Prime Minister thinks that these protests are wrong and some of the scenes we’ve seen have been outrageous.”

The statement added that while the government has “deep concern” over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, that “it is wrong and unfair to call for a boycott of [Israel’s Eurovision] act”.

“When it comes to this debate around Eurovision in these protests, we are incredibly mindful of the Israelis and also Jewish people around the world who love Eurovision and their feelings at seeing this in the aftermath of what was an atrocious terror attack, and while hostages are still being held by Hamas, and he would urge people to consider this when repeating these unfair calls for a boycott.”

Israel’s act cleared the semi-finals on Thursday with Golan’s track Hurricane, rebranded from its initial title October Rain about Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7.