Pro-Palestine protesters have planned to walk the streets of Basle “silently” to demonstrate against Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Local group Basel for Palestine urged its marchers not to make any “chants or slogans” as they walk across the Swiss host city on Wednesday on the anniversary of Israel’s creation as a state on May 14th, 1948.
Meanwhile, Canadian singer Céline Dion delivered a pre-recorded address during Tuesday’s semi-final of the song contest saying she wants “nothing more” than to be in Switzerland, a country she represented and won for in 1988 with Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi.
Organisers are in “close contact” with Dion, who has health issues, amid speculation she would make a stage return during the final on Saturday.
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Acts who have qualified for Saturday already include Ziferblat with the entry Bird Of Pray, who continue Ukraine’s streak of making it through to every grand final since the country first entered in 2003, and Sweden’s representative KAJ, who have been touted as favourites to win with their ode to saunas, Bara Bada Bastu.
Basel for Palestine wrote on social media: “On the eve of the Nakba day, we invite you all to join us on a silent walk through the city of Basle.”
Nakba Day remembers the date in 1948 when some 750,000 Palestinians were displaced from their homes as part of the foundation of Israel.
More pro-Palestine protests are set for Saturday evening, following the weekend when a gathering of flags waved from the Middle Eastern country at the opening ceremony on Sunday.
Broadcasters including RTÉ and others from Spain and Iceland have called for a discussion on Israel’s inclusion in the contest, and on Tuesday, the charity Oxfam aired a campaign video called Speak Up For Palestine on Belgian Eurovision broadcaster VRT.
A demonstration against anti-Semitism has been approved by Basle police for Thursday, when Israeli singer Yuval Raphael performs in the second semi-final along with Ireland’s entry by Emmy Kristiansen.
In a change from last year’s contest in Malmo, Sweden, the ban on certain flags being waved by the audience was relaxed which meant Palestinian symbols could be seen in the St Jakobshalle arena.
Despite the ban in 2024, sparked by the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023, some fans had smuggled items into the audience.
Another key difference on Tuesday was the absence from the main arena of Martin Osterdahl, the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) executive supervisor for the song contest. His team were instead briefly filmed backstage verifying the votes after Mr Osterdahl was booed last year amid several controversies during the event won by Switzerland’s Nemo.
Before the qualifying acts were announced, co-hosts Hazel Brugger and Sandra Studer sang about Swiss-made products and how the country hosted the first Eurovision in Lugano in 1956.
The song also compared the EBU’s non-political stance to Switzerland’s neutrality in armed conflicts.
Brugger sang: “And now you understand, that like the Swiss, Eurovision is non-political, strictly neutral. Doesn’t matter if you’re good or brutal, welcome gender diversity, but with decency and no nudity.”
There was a tribute to Dion, with Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi performed in the St Jakobshalle arena by previous Eurovision stars including Silvester Belt and Iolanda.
Also through to Saturday’s final are Estonia’s Tommy Cash with Espresso Macchiato; Poland’s Justyna Steczkowska with her dramatic Gaja; Vaeb representing Iceland with Roa; San Marino’s Gabry Ponte with the catchy Tutta L’Italia; Albania’s Shkodra Elektronike singing Zjerm; Portugal’s Napa with Deslocado; and Norway’s Kyle Alessandro with the fiery song Lighter. – PA
