Switzerland took first place in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 thanks to the song “The Code,” performed by the artist Nemo, in an edition of the contest that was marked by controversy and antisemitism, especially given the failed attempt to boycott Israel’s participation due to the war waged by the Israeli state against the terrorist group Hamas.

“I hope that this competition can continue to encourage peace and dignity for everyone,” said Nemo, a 24-year-old non-binary artist, after the final of the competition held in the Swedish city of Malmö.

With her pink and red coat and satin pink dress, Nemo obtained a total of 591 points (365 from the jury and 226 from the public) to beat Croatian rocker Baby Lasagna, who came second with 547 points but won the popular vote and praise on social networks.

The 2024 edition of Eurovision was marked not only by Switzerland’s triumph and Lasagna’s outstanding performance but also by Israel’s participation. Israel managed to shine by overcoming various challenges, including attempts to exclude the country from the contest due to the war in Gaza. Despite facing prevailing antisemitism, Israel defied the odds and took second place in the popular vote, thus overshadowing the event.

On Saturday, on the occasion of the grand final, more than 5,000 people demonstrated in Malmö against Israeli participation.

Two days before, protests brought together more than 10,000 people in this city where the majority of the Swedish community of Palestinian origin lives.

Inside the Malmö Arena, Israeli singer Eden Golan’s performance was greeted with a mix of boos and applause. However, the young woman, with her song “Hurricane,” came in fifth place overall with 375 points, thanks largely to the vote of the people who gave her 323 points.

One of the countries that voted the most for Israel was Spain, which gave twelve points to Eden Golan in the popular vote.

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This article was written with information from AFP