Eden Alene, Israel's contest in the Eurovision Song Contest, advanced to the finals on the opening night of the 2021 event, which was held in Rotterdam on Tuesday night.
While there was some concern that the current war would turn Eurovision audiences against Israel, Alene's flawless performance of the song, "Set Me Free," during which she hit the highest note ever achieved in a Eurovision performance, charmed voters. Alene, a rising star and Israel's first representative of Ethiopian descent, managed to contain her disappointment over the postponement of the 2020 contest due to the coronavirus pandemic and conducted herself with quiet grace throughout the year. In addition to her high note, her performance was notable for her dancing and the striking black-and-white Alon Livne costume she sported.
התרגשות, קווים לדמותה pic.twitter.com/vjazyFqVDA
— חגית קלימן - Hagit Klaiman (@klaiman14) May 18, 2021
Alene said thank you in Hebrew, Amharic and Arabic and wrapped herself in the flag, reciting the "Shema Yisrael" prayer as she waited to find out whether she had made the finals. Speaking to reporters after the announcement that she had made the cut, she said, "“I feel like I’m going to explode because of the excitement. I’m so happy for my country because we deserve this. We’ve been through so much . . . I love my country, and I’ve been through so much. And I’m so happy!”
Some audience members waved Palestine banners and flags, which has happened before. Others took to Twitter to tweet that "Set Me Free," should be about Palestine. There were protests outside the auditorium and calls for "the occupier" not to be allowed to perform, meaning Alene.
Set #Palestine free instead #Eurovision #eurovisiongr pic.twitter.com/VZ1B8zsj6F
— Stavros Vouros (@stavros_vouros) May 18, 2021
Russia's song, “Russian Woman,” performed by Manizha, which was written by two Israelis, Ori Avni and Ori Kaplan, also advanced to the finals.
There will be a second round of semifinals on May 20 and the grand finale will be held on May 22. Both events will be broadcast on Kan 11.