'Israel' censorship at Eurovision: 'If I don't remove the ceasefire phrase...'

Ireland's Eurovision representative Bambie Thug expressed her support for Palestine, stating, "Being pro-Palestine does not mean I am antisemitic. It means I am against war, occupation, oppression, and the killing of innocent civilians and children."

Bambie Thug shared the message "My heart and prayers are with the people of Palestine" on her Instagram account.

The singer, who performed in the first semi-final held on May 7, stated that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) had requested the removal of the phrases "Free Palestine" and "Ceasefire," which she had written on her body in Ogham, an ancient Celtic script, to show her support for Palestine.

Bambie Thug noted that she and her team fought against this request and ultimately convinced EBU officials to allow the "Ceasefire" text to remain.

However, Bambie Thug stated that after a while, EBU officials returned with a demand to remove this text as well, writing in her post, "I learned that they had an internal meeting about an hour before I was due to go on stage, and that the term 'ceasefire' was no longer acceptable and that if I didn't remove it, I would not be allowed to go on stage."