The second semifinal of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest took place in Basel, Switzerland. During the performance of Israel’s contestant, Yuval Raphael, a notable incident occurred: the live broadcast did not show the audience; only the singer’s voice was broadcast. The broadcaster took precautions during the live broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest semifinal to prevent protests against Israel's genocide in Gaza.
The second semifinal featured 16 countries, with Lithuania, Israel, Armenia, Denmark, Austria, Luxembourg, Finland, Latvia, Malta and Greece advancing to the grand final. However, Australia, Montenegro, Ireland, Latvia, Georgia, Czechia and Serbia were eliminated from the competition.
The grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest will take place on May 17.
Before the second semifinal, a protest against Israel’s participation took place during the rehearsals. Videos circulating on social media showed that during Israeli singer Raphael’s rehearsal, loud boos were heard from the audience and Palestinian flags were waved. Eurovision organizers removed individuals carrying Palestinian flags from the area, citing "security" concerns.
Despite calls for Israel’s removal from the competition due to its ongoing actions in Gaza, Raphael will still compete in the grand final on May 17.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) had previously excluded Russia from Eurovision due to the Russia-Ukraine war starting in 2022. However, the decision not to exclude Israel led to accusations of "hypocrisy" and "double standards."
In Basel, where the contest was held, Palestinian supporters staged protests against Israel’s participation in the competition. Activists gathered outside the Eurovision venue, protesting Israel’s involvement. After receiving a warning from security forces, the protesters were forced to leave the area.
Later, a group of activists gathered inside the competition venue, holding a demonstration in support of Palestine and protesting Israel’s participation. As they marched, they chanted slogans such as "Free Palestine" and "Stop the genocide."
The activists also expressed their frustration by reacting to individuals carrying Israeli flags, who seemed to provoke them as they passed by. The activists raised their voices and chanted, "Free Palestine" and "Stop the genocide," while confronting those trying to incite them.
