A Swedish petition titled “No Eurovision in Malmo if Israel Participates” has gathered more than 800 signatures and is to be discussed at a city council meeting in April, AFP reports.

But the move is purely symbolic — the EBU has already ruled Israel can take part, rejecting calls in a number of European countries for it to be excluded over the Gaza conflict.

The EBU suspended Russia after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, effectively banning Russia from the contest. Israel’s public broadcaster is an EBU member, and Eden Golan, 20, will represent the country after winning a domestic competition.

The EBU did however force Israel to change the lyrics of the song “October Rain”, deeming it too political. It is widely considered to reference the victims of Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel.

When Malmo last hosted Eurovision, in 2013, residents also protested Israel’s participation. “This is the first time since the war in Gaza that Israel is participating in an international event,” said Linnaeus University political scientist Anders Persson.

“So it’s also the first time that the BDS (Boycott, Disinvestment, Sanctions) movement has a chance to protest against Israel on a global scale,” he said.