Most contestants at the Eurovision Song Contest are seeking as much publicity as possible. Israel’s Yuval Raphael is keeping a low profile. The 24-year-old singer has done few media interviews or appearances during Eurovision week,

As fans prepare for the annual European Song Contest - which is being hosted in St Jakobshalle, Basel - many have been calling for Israel to be banned.

‘During the dress rehearsal for the second semi-final of the ESC this afternoon, the performance of Israeli singer Yuval Raphael was disrupted. ‘Six people, including a family, disrupted the rehearsal with oversized flags and whistles. Security personnel were able to quickly identify those involved and escort them out of the hall.’

The singer's appearance in this year's contest has sparked pushback from protesters over Israel's inclusion in the contest.

Over 200 people protested in the host city of Basel on Wednesday (May 14), demanding an end to Israel's military offensive and the country's expulsion from Eurovision. History shows that bans aren't unprecedented. Belarus was suspended in 2021 for a politically charged song, followed by Russia's exclusion in 2022 amidst the Ukraine conflict.

Protesters with Palestinian flags and banners took part in a "silent" march along one of the city's main streets to demonstrate against Israel’s participation in the pan-continental pop competition.

Amid calls for Israel’s exclusion from the competition, Remember Monday says it is ‘really difficult to comment’

“Eurovision adding crowd noise over Israel's performance so viewers can't hear the booing,” one viewer claimed on X/Twitter. “Of course they filter out the booing , so typical,” wrote another, while someone else claimed: “The boos at Eurovision ...