Bulgaria wins Eurovision for first time; Israel comes second amid boycott
Summary
Bulgaria won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time with singer Dara performing the song "Bangaranga." Israel came in second place amid a boycott by five countries protesting Israel’s war in Gaza.Key Facts
- Bulgaria's Dara won the 70th Eurovision Song Contest held in Vienna, Austria.
- Israel’s participation sparked a boycott by Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia.
- The boycott was related to protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, which has caused many Palestinian casualties since October 2023.
- Israel’s singer Noam Bettan finished in second place for the second year in a row.
- Eurovision organizers changed voting rules this year due to accusations of lobbying for Israel’s entry.
- Hundreds of protesters demonstrated outside the arena, and some broadcasters, like Spain’s RTVE, refused to show the contest.
- Belgium’s VRT threatened not to compete next year unless there is a vote on Israel’s participation.
- About 10,000 fans attended the live final event in Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle arena.
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