Eric Saadeh, whose father is from Palestine, wore a keffiyeh scarf, a symbol of Palestine and the Arab world, wrapped around his arm.
Organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest have apologized after the Swedish singer breached a ban on political symbols by wearing a pro-Palestinian scarf during her performance.
Erik Saade, one of the opening acts for Tuesday night's semi-final, was the most controversial act of the night as Ukraine and Croatia advanced to the final.
Also read: Eurovision rejects Israeli entry ban on Gaza
The overall outcome of the contest was clouded by the participation of Israel, which is in the midst of a war with Hamas and has faced criticism over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Saadeh, whose father is from Palestine, wore a keffiyeh scarf, a symbol of Palestine and the Arab world, wrapped around her arm. He had warned before the show that he wanted to make some sort of protest against Israel's inclusion.
Swedish broadcaster SVT and organizer the European Broadcasting Union condemned his actions.
“It is unfortunate that he used his participation in this way,” Eva Adielsson, SVT's executive producer of the contest, told AFP.
Other artists in the contest called for a ceasefire or made comments against Israel, but were asked not to display political messages during their performances.
Related article: Israeli delegation departs Cairo after ceasefire talks: Media
Due to safety concerns, Israeli contestant Eden Golan was reportedly told to stay in his hotel room in Malmo before competing in Thursday's second semi-final.
Before and after the performance, demonstrations calling for the removal of Israel will be held in Swedish cities.
Among the qualifiers were Ukrainians Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil, who sang the rap song “Teresa and Maria.” Croatia's Baby Lasagna, who sings one of the early favorites, “Rim Tim Tagi Dim,” also made it to Saturday's final.
Serbia, Portugal, Slovenia, Lithuania, Finland, Cyprus, Ireland and Luxembourg were all selected as finalists.
Current winners Sweden, EBU's main contributors Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain all automatically qualify for Saturday's final.
© Agence France-Presse
