The organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest have criticized Swedish singer Eric Saadewhose father is Palestinian and that this year he is not competing, for his decision to wear a keffiyeh on her wrist during her performance at the opening of the first semi-final of the competition held in Malmo, Sweden. The keffiyeh is a Palestinian symbol often used in anti-Israel protests.
«Eric Saade is well aware of the rules that apply when taking the stage at the Eurovision Song Contest. We think it's sad that you use his participation in this way,” said executive producer Ebba Adielsson in a comment on Swedish TV. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said that the show is live and that “all artists are informed of the rules of the competition: “We regret that Eric Saade has chosen to compromise the apolitical nature of the event.” The organizers of the event (EBU) announced last week that competitors, artists and fans are prohibited from displaying flags that do not represent the countries participating in the competition, nor from displaying or making political gestures. Over the past few days, Saade has been highly critical of the EBU, calling the ban on Palestinian flags “shameful”.