Ireland’s Bambie Thug has blasted the organizers for requesting that the artist change a pro-Palestinian statement prior to their last-night performance in the first semi-final.
In the meantime, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) released a statement expressing “regret” over the fact that former Swedish candidate Eric Saade, who is purportedly of Palestinian descent, was singing while sporting a traditional scarf wound around his wrist, known as a keffiyeh.
Although he isn’t competing this year, he did open his nation’s first Eurovision semi-final program before the finalists were selected.
As a non-political event, Eurovision has provoked demonstrations when its organizers have rejected requests to boycott Israel.
