Israel: Complaint filed for "throat-slitting" at Eurovision opening

The upcoming Eurovision ceremony is not getting off to a particularly good start. Israeli public service media Kan reported Sunday that it had filed a complaint with Swiss authorities, claiming that a protester made a throat-slitting gesture and spat on members of the Israeli delegation during Sunday's Eurovision opening ceremony.

Eurovision is organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the world's largest alliance of public service media, of which Kan is a member.

Eurovision Song Contest week kicked off on Sunday with a parade through Basel, Switzerland's third-largest city. Representatives from each participating country, including Israeli singer Yuval Raphael, marched aboard vintage trams and buses.

Along the route, several demonstrators held Palestinian flags and placards reading "No applause for genocide" and "Change while Gaza burns," some using megaphones.

Kan reported on its website that it had filed a complaint with Swiss police after a young man wearing a keffiyeh and holding a Palestinian flag made a "throat-slitting gesture" toward Yuval Raphael and members of the Israeli delegation.

Yuval Raphael survived the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel that sparked the war in Gaza by hiding under bodies during a Hamas attack on a music festival that killed hundreds.

"The channel also contacted the EBU, requesting that steps be taken to identify the individual who made this gesture and spat on members of the delegation," Kan added. Contacted by AFP, the cantonal police said they were "aware of the incident" and that they would "send a report" to the relevant authorities. The EBU also contacted the agency, but did not immediately respond.

More than 1,300 police officers were deployed in Basel during Eurovision week, and surveillance cameras were installed around fan zones. Basel's emergency services reported that the parade "took place without any major incidents." Both fans and protesters were able to approach trams as the procession passed.

"The police were able to arrest around 150 people (...) and thus prevent the official event from being disrupted," the authorities said in a brief statement.

Last year's competition, held in Malmö, Sweden, was already marred by protests against the war in Gaza . Israeli representative Eden Golan performed under tight security and was largely confined to her hotel.

Last week, more than 70 former Eurovision contestants called for Israel's exclusion due to the war in Gaza.