Israeli singer left 'shaken' by Eurovision Gaza protesters

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators in crowd tried to storm stage

- GREG EVANS

Israeli singer Yuval Raphael was left “shaken and upset” after pro-Palestinian protesters tried to storm the stage during the Eurovision Song Contest final.

The incident took place as the 7 October survivor sang her entry “New Day Will Rise”, which was greeted with cheers and boos, as BBC Eurovision commentator Graham Norton said there was a “mixed response” in the arena in Basel, Switzerland.

A spokesperson for Israeli broadcaster Kan said the protesters “were blocked by security officials, but Raphael was shaken and upset”.

“The delegation was needed to move location for 15 minutes,” he added. “At the same time, a big anti-Israel protest takes place in the centre of Basel. The Israeli National Security Council issued a warning to Israeli civilians in the city to keep a low profile.”

A spokesperson for Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR said: “At the end of the Israeli performance, a man and a woman tried to get over a barrier onto the stage. They were stopped. One of the two agitators threw paint and a crew member was hit. The crew member is fine and nobody was injured. The man and the woman were taken out of the venue and handed over to the police.”

Swiss police confirmed the two people were handed over to them and that they have now been released.