Malmo

Israel's Eurovision contestant Eden Golan soared to second place following her performance despite protests, reflecting a triumph amid controversy.

Social media users noticed the absence of Eurovision elevator interviews host, Rylan Clark, in the video in which Golan appears.

During the performance of Eden Golan's song "Hurricane", spectators in the audience booed in contempt, and some even left the hall.

Jerusalem-born Tali Golergant, representing Luxembourg in Eurovision, advanced to the finals. Israel's contestant, Eden Golan, will perform in the second semi-final on Thursday.

Israeli Eurovision contestant Eden Golan skipped the song contest's opening gala ceremony on the Turquoise Carpet to instead attend a Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony with Malmo's Jewish residents.

During the coming week, approximately one hundred thousand additional visitors are expected to arrive in preparation for the first semi-final on Tuesday.

Despite the approval, concerns persist regarding the divisive nature of such demonstrations and their impact on community cohesion.

Golan will be accompanied by heavy security in Malmo due to the anti-Israel and antisemitic atmosphere in the city, which has only increased since Israel’s war against Hamas broke out.

The international song contest will be held this year in Malmo, Sweden, considered to be one of the most antisemitic cities in the world, making Israel's participation more complicated.

Eden Golan, whose family moved from Israel to Russia when she was six and moved back here two years ago, already has a professional career abroad.