Eurovision Israeli singer Eden Golan said she’s been “ordered to stay in her hotel room” in Sweden due to the “thousands of pro-Palestine protesters” outside, including activist Greta Thunberg.
In a Daily Mail report, Golan said she was ordered not to leave her hotel room by “Israel’s national security agency Shin Bet” — except for during her performances — because outside the hotel in Malmo were thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrations. It comes ahead of the second semi-final of the 2024 competition, the outlet noted.
Among the anti-Israel protests was climate activist Thunberg, who was seen wearing a keffiyeh — the traditional scarf that has become a symbol for Palestinians — as the protesters called on Golan to be excluded from the annual singing competition, the outlet noted.
Israeli Eurovision singer Eden Golan is ordered to stay in her hotel room by her security team as thousands of pro-Hamas “protesters” including keffiyeh-wearing Greta Thunberg gather in Sweden’s notorious no-go zone in Malmo, calling for her to be excluded https://t.co/gsqtgaaWKi
— A.C. Spollen (@ACSpollen) May 9, 2024
In one clip, Thunberg told reporters, “Young people are leading the way and showing the world how we should react to this.”
However, when pressed why she was there with the protesters, she only would say it was “good” as the march took place, the outlet noted.
Some of the banners that could be seen at the protest included one that read, “Welcome to Genocide song contest” and another, “stop using Eurovision to whitewash Israeli crimes,” the report noted.
Lead singer of Five for Fighting, John Ondrasik, also shared a post on X about the protests and Golan not being able to leave her hotel room. Following the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7 against Israel, Ondrasik wrote the song “OK” and has called out artists who have been silent amid the anti-Semitism raging on college campuses.
“Eden Golan, our fellow artist, cannot leave her hotel room in fear for her life because she is Jewish,” Ondrasik’s post read. “This is 2024. I call on every artist to join me in condemning publicly this despicable act of hate. This is a time for choosing. Your silence is complicit.”
Golan previously told Reuters she hopes her performance can bring some unity. “It’s a super important moment for us, especially this year,” the Israeli singer said. “I feel honored to have the opportunity to be the voice of my country.”