– We know there will be demonstrations – news Culture and entertainment

SVT: Ebba Adielsson is head of entertainment at SVT, which has been given responsibility for organizing the Eurovision final. Photo: news On Thursday, it became clear that Israel will be able to take part in the Eurovision final in May. It was made public through a press release from the Israeli national broadcaster. Now the Swedish national broadcaster SVT also confirms that Israel will be allowed to participate in the final in Malmö in May. – Yes, we have received confirmation that Israel will participate. The song was approved yesterday, says entertainment manager at SVT, Ebba Adielsson. There have been many reactions to Israel’s participation. Sweden, like Norway, has experienced anti-Israeli demonstrations during the semi-finals of the ESC. But SVT is not particularly concerned about safety. Adielsson points out that Malmö was the host city for the final in 2013, when there were also demonstrations around the show. – There were demonstrations in 2013 as well. During Eurovision, there is always someone who wants to give their opinion on various matters. We know there will be demonstrations. But the police are well prepared and we are confident that they will deal with it in a good way, she says. Adielsson believes the experiences from 2013 are important in the run-up to this year’s final. – Many of those who worked on that event will be taking part this year. So we have a lot of experience with us. Norway: In Norway there have been many protests against Israel’s participation in Eurovision. Photo: Hanna Johre SVT: – Many will be heard now SVT says they are very satisfied with the organization that will ensure safety during the ESC. – Since September, ESC has worked together with Malmö city, Malmö Arena, the local police and other authorities. We feel there is stability around security, says Adielsson. In addition to all the glitz and glamour, the Eurovision Song Contest aims to be non-political, although there are many examples of the opposite. Russia has been banned from the competition following their invasion and warfare in Ukraine. And it was Ukraine that won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2016 with a song about the situation on the Crimean peninsula. – Is it more difficult to hold the final this year, because of the focus on Israel’s participation? – There are a lot of people who want to be heard now. We get a lot of questions about security, but we’ve been working on this since September. We are preparing as much as we can, so that this event will be as safe as possible, she says. Eden Golan found his way to the ESC through a talent competition. Now she will participate in the final. Photo: EBU



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