“From the very first moment we had one goal, which was to make Israel’s strong voice heard in the world, and I know that we accomplished that goal in a big way,” Golan said in a statement, per The Times of Israel.

She added, “I don’t forget for one moment our hostages, and I dedicate my participation in the contest to them!”

Since the Israel-Gaza war began last October, over 34,800 Palestinians and over 1,400 Israelis have been killed, according to reports at the time of writing. Just over 250 Israeli hostages were taken by Hamas in October, with 112 returned alive as of February 2024, 132 still in captivity and 50-70 deceased.

According to various sources, booing was audible from members of the crowd as Golan performed her song “Hurricane”. The Guardian reports that pro-Palestine protesters, including climate change activist Greta Thunberg who shouted “this is a genocide”, had previously been seen clashing outside the venue with police.

Here’s what we know about 20-year-old Eden Golan.

Where is Eden Golan from?

According to AP, Golan was born in Israel to parents from the former Soviet Union, but much of her upbringing and early career took place in Russia. Her family later moved back to Israel.

She was in a girl group for two years

Golan has been in the music business for some time. Per her profile on the Eurovision website, she began her career at the age of nine by appearing in various competitions.

She then became the lead vocalist in a girl group for two years, and is an impressive talent whose skills include singing, songwriting, composing, musical production and dancing. The same website shares that she had signed with label and publishing house Session42 by the time she turned 18.

She is inspired by some of today’s biggest pop stars

She has a large following on social media

Golan has amassed a large fan base on Instagram, with over 370,000 followers on the platform. There, she posts pictures and videos of her singing, taking selfies, and posing in stylish outfits.

Which song did Eden Golan sing at Eurovision?

Golan chose to sing “Hurricane” for the Eurovision final. She initially planned to sing a different song, “October Rain”, but was forced to change it because the lyrics were widely interpreted as being about the Israel-Gaza war, breaching the competition’s rules disallowing politicised lyrics, per the Independent.

She also performed songs including “I Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith.

What has Eden Golan said about the Israel-Gaza conflict?

Golan previously told Reuters of her excitement at the chance to compete: “I came here to show my voice, to share my love, my gift from God and to hopefully make people feel something and leave a mark in their souls and to unite by music.”

When asked what her stance was on the protests outside the Eurovision arena, she responded: “It’s up to the people what to do. They have the right to speak their voice, but I’m focusing on my part which is giving the best performance, and on the good: the good vibes, the good people.”