Switzerland and the Netherlands, both top contenders in Eurovision 2024, secured places in Saturday’s final alongside Israel, despite protests and booing during Israel’s performance.

The event in Malmo, Sweden, drew 100,000 visitors, with heavy police presence due to potential unrest.

Swiss rapper Nemo and Dutch artist Joost Klein qualified with their songs, while Israeli soloist Eden Golan’s performance faced mixed reactions.

Golan’s participation sparked controversy, with calls to exclude Israel over political reasons, but Eurovision organizers maintained it as a non-political event.

Protests from both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups occurred outside the event, NBC News has reported.

Despite the controversy, Golan expressed pride in representing Israel.

Other countries like Armenia, Austria, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Latvia, and Norway also qualified for the final.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Golan’s participation, highlighting it as a stand against antisemitism.

Written by B.C. Begley