The hopes of a nation are a big enough weight for anyone appearing in the Eurovision final on Saturday, let alone a 20-year-old.
But the eyes of the world will be on Eden Golan for more reasons than one when she takes the stage in Malmo, Sweden.
As an Israeli participant, Golan has drawn the ire of pro-Palestinian protesters who believe the Jewish state should have been expelled from this year’s competition, becoming a lightning rod for hate since the IDF’s invasion of Gaza after the disgusting Hamas attacks on October 7.
Golan has even been told by Israel’s feared security service to stay in his hotel room and only come out to perform, after receiving a barrage of death threats and amid fears of a terrorist attack.
However, she is not alone and has received support from some of her country’s previous famous contestants.
The eyes of the world will be on Eden Golan for more reasons than one when she takes the stage in Malmo, Sweden, at the Eurovision final on Saturday.
The Golan has been the target of pro-Palestinian protesters who believe Israel should have been expelled from this year’s competition.
A Palestinian flag flies during Golan’s performance of his song ‘Hurricane’ during the semi-final of the competition last night.
Israel’s Dana International, who was the first transgender Eurovision winner in 1998, told the LGBT community to condemn Hamas instead of Israel while calling for “Free Palestine, from Hamas!”
“Things are much more complex than reciting a trend that sounds good to you,” she told her 114,000 followers on Instagram.
‘I ask you to open your eyes and hearts, and see the truth, to see beyond any propaganda or one-sided narrative as shown on social media. Choose to see the side that sees you. Who shares the same values as you.
Gali Atari, who was part of the group Milk and Honey when Israel won in 1979, believes Golan would have a chance of winning if it were any other year.
“And all the background noise makes it a lot harder,” he said. The Jerusalem Post.
“This whole year, with the booing, the violent protests… it’s all very scary, but Eden handles it very well.”
However, the tensions at this year’s event are palpable.
Heavily armed police officers with machine guns patrol outside hotels, and drone-mounted cameras will monitor the crowd as they try to keep the peace during the world’s biggest pop competition.
Most alarming of all, there are reports that terrorists are planning to bomb the stadium.
Golan shared a New York Times article on his Instagram page in which he defiantly says he “won’t let anything break me.”
Footage showed members of the crowd booing and shouting during Golan’s performance on Wednesday night.
Golan pictured performing her song Hurricane during rehearsal at the Malmo Arena on Wednesday.
Without a doubt, Golan is EurovisionHe is this year’s most controversial entry and is said to be under constant surveillance by bodyguards after facing death threats.
If there was any question left about what kind of reception he’ll receive, it was resoundingly answered last night.
When she took the stage dressed in a long stone-colored dress that looked like bandages, boos filled the arena.
Golan was nearly drowned out by protesters chanting “Free Palestine” while she performed “Hurricane” during the Eurovision Song Contest jury show.
However, despite threats to her life and fears of a terrorist attack, she has refused to be intimidated and has stood firm in her response.
“I will not let anything break me,” says the Russian-Israeli defiantly.
Before flying out for this year’s competition, the young singer showed a composure that belied her age.
‘I wouldn’t say I’m worried. ‘I’m ready,’ she insisted to MailOnline, after some deliberations.
But his entry has been mired in controversy from the beginning. Denmark, Finland, Norway and even host country Sweden have repeatedly called for Israel to be excluded from the contest entirely. And in Belgium, two ministers demanded that the Jewish state receive the same treatment as Russia, which has been banned since 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine.
The fact that Eden’s song broke Eurovision rules which state that all entries must be strictly apolitical has not helped ease the tension.
Swedish protesters hold a banner calling for a boycott of Israel at a demonstration in front of Malmo City Hall against the country’s participation in the Eurovision song contest.
A demonstrator shows a sign during a protest against Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, before the second semi-final, in Malmo, Sweden.
Protesters tear down a Eurovision flag during the “Stop Israel” demonstration between Stortorget and Molleplatsen in Malmo.
The original version of his piano ballad Hurricane was called October Rain and was a thinly disguised tribute to the victims of the Hamas terrorist attack last year. It included lyrics such as ‘There’s no air left to breathe’ and ‘They were all good kids, every one of them.’
“I was going through a rollercoaster of emotions,” Golan says. ‘The song itself has a powerful story.
‘When you are going through a lot of things within yourself and life in general…’
While her family was not directly affected by the October 7 massacre, she has many friends who lost loved ones.
A friend’s boyfriend was murdered at the Nova music festival, an event she finds too painful to comment on.
“We cannot disconnect from what is happening in our country,” he continues. ‘The entire country is not going through an easy time. “I feel that the horror of October 7 brought Jews closer together and united us all.”
But October Rain’s original song was rejected by the contest’s organizers, the European Broadcasting Union, for political reasons.
After several revisions, October Rain was renamed Huracán and now tells the story of a woman emerging from a personal crisis.
Musically, it’s the same song but the lyrics are more generic, the references to the massacre replaced by phrases like “every day I’m losing my mind” and “I’m still broken by this hurricane.”
The original version of Golan’s piano ballad Hurricane was called October Rain and was a thinly disguised tribute to the victims of last year’s Hamas terrorist attack.
The Golan has become a lightning rod for hate since the invasion of Gaza in response to the Hamas atrocities of October 7.
Golan has endured an avalanche of death threats as Israel’s participant in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Golan hopes the positive response to his music outweighs any negativity.
“People of all nationalities like the song,” he says confidently. “They can disconnect from what they believe in and just focus on the music.”
Her parents come from the former Soviet Union and, although she was born in Kfar Saba, in central Israel, they decided to move to Moscow when she was six years old.
His father Eddie, 56, is a businessman, while his mother, Olga, 50, is his manager or ‘momager’.
While living in Moscow, he was educated at a British international school, where he gained A levels in mathematics, psychology and business.
The singer, who arrived in the city last week wearing a yellow pin, symbolizing support for the release of hostages held by Hamas, insists she is safe in Malmo despite threats against her.
“I am receiving a lot of love and support from my family and the professional team that has become a family.”
He added: “Protests, of course, are not pleasant, but I can’t wait to be on stage and try to make people feel something in the three minutes I have.” I’m very focused on my mission.’