The Israeli singer staring down the fury of the pro-Palestine crowd: How Eurovision’s Eden Golan, 20, refuses to be cowed by death threats, protests and terror attack fears – as she vows, ‘I won’t let anything break me’
A nation’s hopes weigh heavily enough on anyone taking part in Saturday’s Eurovision final, 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 Malmö, Sweden.
As Israel’s newcomer, Golan has drawn the ire of pro-Palestinian protesters who say the Jewish state should have been kicked out of this year’s competition – and become a lightning rod of hatred since the IDF invasion of Gaza following the sickening attacks of Hamas on October 7.
Golan has even been told by Israel’s fearsome security service to stay in her hotel room and leave alone to perform, after receiving an avalanche of death threats and amid fears of terror attacks.
However, she is not alone and has received support from some of her country’s previous famous newcomers.
The eyes of the world will be on Eden Golan for more reasons than one when she takes the stage in Malmö, Sweden, at the Eurovision final on Saturday.
Golan has been targeted by pro-Palestinian protesters who believe Israel should have been kicked out of this year’s competition
A Palestinian flag is waved during Golan’s performance of her song ‘Hurricane’ during the semi-final of the competition last night
Israel’s Dana International, who was the first transgender winner of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998, told the LGBT community to condemn Hamas instead of Israel as she called for ‘Free Palestine – from Hamas!’.
“Things are a lot more complex than reciting a trend that sounds good,” she told her 114,000 followers on Instagram.
“I ask you to open your eyes and hearts and see the truth, to see beyond all the 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 to win if it were a different year.
“And all the noise in the background makes it much harder,” she said The Jerusalem Post.
‘All year round, with the booing and the violent protests – it’s all very scary, but Eden is dealing with it very well.’
Still, tensions are palpable at this year’s event.
Heavily armed police with machine guns will patrol outside hotels, and drone-mounted cameras will monitor the crowds as they try to keep the peace at the world’s biggest pop competition.
Most alarming of all, there are reports that terrorists are planning to bomb the arena.
Golan shared a New York Times article on her Instagram page in which she defiantly says she “won’t let anything break me”
Footage showed audience members whooping and shouting during Golan’s performance on Wednesday night
Golan imagined herself performing her song Hurricane during rehearsal at the Malmo Arena on Wednesday
Without a doubt, Golan is Eurovision‘s most controversial entry this year and is said to be under constant bodyguard as he has received death threats.
If there were any questions about the care she will receive, they were fully answered last night.
When she took the stage, wearing a stone-colored maxi dress that resembled bandages, boos filled the arena.
Golan was nearly drowned out by protesters chanting “Free Palestine” as she performed “Hurricane” during the Eurovision Song Contest jury show.
But despite the threats to her life and the fear of a terrorist attack, she has refused to be intimidated and has remained steadfast in her response.
“I won’t let anything break me,” the Russian-Israeli says defiantly.
Before flying to this year’s competition, the young singer showed a calmness that belied her years.
‘I wouldn’t say I’m worried. I am prepared,” she told MailOnline after some deliberation.
But her entry has been mired in controversy from the start. Denmark, Finland, Norway and even host nation Sweden have repeatedly called for Israel to be banned from the competition altogether. And in Belgium, two ministers demanded that the Jewish state be treated the same as Russia, which has been banned since 2022 after the invasion of Ukraine.
The fact that Eden’s song violates Eurovision rules, which state that all entries must be strictly apolitical, has not eased the tension.
Swedish protesters hold a sign calling for a boycott of Israel during a demonstration outside Malmö City Hall against the country’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest
A demonstrator shows a poster during a protest against Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, ahead of the second semi-final, in Malmö, Sweden
Protesters take down a Eurovision flag during the ‘Stop Israel’ demonstration between Stortorget and Molleplatsen in Malmö
The original version of her piano-backed ballad Hurricane was called October Rain and was a thinly veiled tribute to the victims of last year’s Hamas terror attack. It included lyrics such as “There’s no air left to breathe” and “They were all good kids, every one of them.”
“I went through a rollercoaster of emotions,” Golan says. ‘The song itself has a powerful story.
‘When you go through a lot in yourself and in life in general…’
Although her family was not directly affected by the October 7 massacre, she has many friends who have lost loved ones.
A friend’s boyfriend was murdered at the Nova music festival, an event she finds too painful to discuss.
“We cannot separate ourselves from what is happening in our country,” she continues. ‘The whole country is not going through an easy time. I feel that the horrors of October 7 have brought Jews closer together and united us all.”
But the original October Rain song was rejected by the competition’s organizers, the European Broadcasting Union, for political reasons.
After several revisions, October Rain was renamed Hurricane 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 going crazy” and “I’m still broken from this hurricane.”
The original version of Golan’s piano-backed ballad Hurricane was called October Rain and was a thinly veiled tribute to the victims of last year’s Hamas terror attack
The Golan has become a lightning rod of hatred since the invasion of Gaza in response to Hamas atrocities on October 7
Golan has had to endure a barrage of death threats as an Israeli participant in the Eurovision Song Contest
Golan hopes that the positive reactions to her music will outweigh the negativity.
“People of all nationalities like the song,” she says confidently. “They can break away from what they believe and just concentrate on the music.”
Both her parents are from the former Soviet Union and although she was born in Kfar Saba, central Israel, they decided to move to Moscow when she was six.
Her father Eddie, 56, is a businessman, while her mother, Olga, 50, is her manager – or ‘momager’.
While living in Moscow, she was educated at a British international school, where she achieved 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 Malmö despite the threats against her.
“I get a lot of love and support from my family and from the professional team that has become like a family.”
She added: “Protests are obviously not pleasant, but I can’t wait to get up there on stage and try to make people feel something in the three minutes I have.” I am very focused on my mission.”