Israel reaches Eurovision final amid shouts of "stop the genocide"

BarcelonaFew surprises in the first semi-final of Eurovision, which is being held in Austria this year. As expected, Israel has secured a place in the final, which will take place this Saturday, despite the controversy over its participation in the festival and the open opposition from several countries, including Spain, which have decided not to participate in the competition this year.Israel's representative, Noam Bettan, is participating in Eurovision with the song Michelle, a song sung in Hebrew, English, and French. This Tuesday, right at the start of his performance in the first semi-final, a member of the audience could be heard shouting Stop the genocide!

Israel's representative, Noam Bettan, is participating in Eurovision with the song

This week the New York Times has published an investigative report that exposes Israel's maneuvers to clean up its image through Eurovision and turn the festival into a soft power tool at its service. "Israel's efforts to influence Eurovision voting were broader and began years earlier than previously thought. Even before the voting controversy erupted, financial records show that Israel spent at least a million dollars on marketing for Eurovision. Part of this money came from Netanyahu's hasbara office, a euphemism for overseas propaganda, to promote Israel's representatives," points out the American newspaper.

and turn the festival into a soft power toolLast year, for example, its song was the most voted by the public in Spain, where Pedro Sánchez's government maintains open diplomatic conflicts with Israel.

The second semi-final of Eurovision will be held this Thursday, where countries like Switzerland, Ukraine, Denmark, and Norway will compete for a place in the final. As part of the boycott of the festival, this year RTVE is not broadcasting the semi-finals or the final.