Israel is bracing for an unprecedented escalation of hostilities during the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden, with intelligence suggesting potential pro-Hamas disruptions targeting the young Israeli star, Eden Golan. According to a dramatic report by Yediot Ahronot, Shin Bet's chief Ronen Bar personally flew to Malmö to orchestrate a fortress-like security setup amidst growing tensions at Israel's borders.
Golan, representing the embattled Jewish state, finds herself in the eye of a storm, landing in Sweden under heavy guard. With security threats looming, her team has strictly limited her public appearances, effectively making her a recluse, save for her crucial performance. Sweden's pledge to bolster security with additional forces from neighboring Denmark and Norway underscores the severity of the threat.
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. pic.twitter.com/aldZmmMbHs
— Eretz Israel (@EretzIsrael) May 7, 2024
The atmosphere is charged with anticipation of large-scale pro-Hamas protests planned to converge outside the venue, aiming to disrupt the cultural festivities. This follows an incident where Palestinian flag-waving protesters infiltrated a performance by 2014 Eurovision winner and Tel Aviv pride parade honoree, Austrian icon Conchita Wurst, unflinchingly voicing their dissent. Oddly though, there were no "Queers for Palestine" posters or protesters at the event which would have made for an interesting mix considering Wurst is a drag queen. Unlike in the United States, the protesters in Malmö are more Islamist and less Islamo-Marxists.
Des manifestants pro-palestiniens tentent de perturber le concert de l’ancienne gagnante Conchita Wurst sur la scène de l’Eurovision Village. Aucune réaction du public. On en parle demain sur @i24NEWS_FR. pic.twitter.com/xjaJsELLKu
— Chrystopher Barolin (@ChrysBarolin) May 6, 2024
Meanwhile, In a stern move that has garnered a lot of criticism, the European Broadcasting Union has banned all politically charged symbols, including Palestinian flags, from the event, threatening to confiscate any materials deemed provocative. Palestine is not a State nor are they participating in Eurovision.
Amidst this volatile backdrop, Israel has escalated its travel warnings for Malmö, highlighting the city's Islamic immigrant demographics as a hotbed for anti-Israel sentiment, further fueled by recent celebrations of Hamas' atrocities. Europe in general is suffering from a radical Islamist presence that in some cities, seems to be getting out of control. In England there are regular protests calling for Sharia Law to be enacted while in Milan, daily prayer calls happen in the middle of streets as a sign of force by African migrants.
Eurovision set to kick off in Sweden under shadow of anti-Israel protests, threats #Israel #Eurovision2024 #Sweden #Malmo https://t.co/T1jQWvoHys [timesofisrael] pic.twitter.com/QOYdI1RlJH
— Eli Dror (@edrormba) May 6, 2024
As Israelis in Malmö navigate this fraught environment, the IDF's Home Front Command is set to deploy an emergency protocol, marking a first in its operational history abroad, providing Israelis with real-time guidance to shield themselves against the shadows of terrorism possibly lurking behind the protests.
