<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Ireland’s entry in the Eurovision Song Contest, claims to have cried&nbsp; after Israel qualified for the final to be held on Saturday.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“It is a complete overshadow of everything, goes against everything that Eurovision is meant to be,” Bambie Thug told journalists ahead of the event at Malmo Arena in Sweden. “I cried with my team.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The 31-year-old singer and songwriter wore a keffiyeh and carried Irish flags while urging the European Broadcasting Union to show “conscience” and “humanity.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The artist will perform “Doomsday Blue” in the final.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Israel’s performer, Eden Golan, will present her song “Hurricane” at the competition. The track underwent revisions after the initial version, “October Rain,” was deemed too political by the EBU.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Although the contest’s motto is “united by music,” this year’s event has attracted protests from Palestinians and their supporters, who say Israel should be excluded because of its conduct of the war in Gaza.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thousands of people are expected to march for a second time this week through Sweden’s third-largest city, which has a large Muslim population, to demand a boycott of Israel and a ceasefire in the seven-month conflict.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In Finland, a group of about 40 protesters stormed the headquarters of public broadcaster YLE on Saturday, demanding it withdraw from the song contest because of Israel’s participation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Venues across England are canceling their gigs after Palestine protest groups instructed their followers to pressure pubs showing the contest - leading some venues to close due to staff safety concerns.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Duke of York cinema in Brighton called off its Eurovision event this week, telling ticket holders it was doing so “due to safety concerns for our staff and customers,” the Guardian reported. The Brighton Palestinian Solidarity Campaign called the decision a “massive win.” - Arab News&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd/fas</div>