Throughout all its stages, the Eurovision Song Contest has put the Israeli delegation through many hardships. Hostile looks, public shunning, massive anti-Israel protests, and even deliberate slumbering as a form of opposition and boycotts reminiscent of the American high school movie "Mean Girls" – these were just some of the challenges Eden Golan, the Israeli representative, had to overcome on her way to the stage in Malmö, Sweden.
Over the years, Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest has faced its share of challenges in justifying its place. However, this year was particularly fraught – condemnation, exclusion, and even hatred reared their heads in an unprecedented manner, following the horrific events of Oct. 7 leading to a war in Gaza. From the moment Golan and the Israeli delegation set foot in Malmö, the dramas were relentless.
"United by music," goes Eurovision's slogan, while the representatives of Ireland, Portugal, Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands (who was eventually disqualified), Greece, Sweden, and the list goes on - represented their countries with proud ignorance and malice.
Receiving cold treatment backstage was one thing, but a significant additional front also emerged in the audience. From the general rehearsals to the finals themselves, we heard the struggle between the boos and the cheers trying to rise above them. Amidst the beautiful, moving lyrics of "Hurricane," we heard the voices of those who see no justification for giving Israel a stage to tell its story.
Facing these challenges, Eden stood tall, steadfast, with a heart-piercing voice singing of Israeli pain and strength. We were all awed by her excellent performances one after the next throughout the entire competition, against a daily reminder – you are not welcome here. Israeli citizens united for moments of awe in front of the screen, watching Eden's performance, which often moved many of us to tears. In the second semi-final, we found out we shared this reaction with many more citizens – around the world.
With Eden's grand final performance behind us, we waited with bated breath and immense pride for the participating countries' juries' votes. Country after country, 37 in total - and not a single "douze points" was given to Israel. Officially, the nations of the world turned their backs on Israel, on the song that conveyed its greatest pain. Not a single country wanted its name associated with Israel's.
And while the situation looked bleak, the public voting results started coming in - and in one moment, and 323 points later, Israel leaped from 12th place to 1st - if only for a few moments - with the 2nd highest number of public votes in the world.
First place or not - it was a victory. A victory of light over darkness. A triumph of emotion and artistry over brainwashing and ignorance. Much like the song's lyrics, even when it's hard to see - a small light of hope has shone through.
Cliché but true – unity, love, and strength are more powerful weapons than we thought. All that's left for us is to learn from and preserve the boundless power of a 20-year-old girl, as proof of Israeli resilience.
