Israeli Authorities Interrogate Eurovision Dancer Over Palestinian Flag Display

During Eurovision, American star Madonna (guest star of the edition), accompanied by American rapper Quavo and a troupe of dancers, gave a performance. But during this performance, two dancers had sewn flags, Israeli and Palestinian, on the back of their costumes. The dancer with the Palestinian flag, Mona Bernsten, a Norwegian of Moroccan origin, underwent a long interrogation by the Israeli authorities after that.

Beur FM reports the dancer’s words, words she had posted on Instagram before the post was deleted: "The hours following the show were intense, but I had never imagined feeling watched the way I was."

The Moroccan dancer would also have said: "At the airport, I was detained for an hour and a half interrogation! I had to tell them about my life, the reasons why I traveled to Arab countries, my relationship to religion, my family situation, show the detailed schedule of my stay, and explain exactly what I was doing and where I went the last time I came to Jerusalem three years ago."

Madonna did not comment on this controversy that arose from this performance where one could notably see a Madonna with a pirate eye patch singing (badly, according to the critics) and dancing and a (male) dancer with the flag of Israel as well as a dancer, Mona Berntsen, with the Palestinian flag (sewn on the back of the costumes) climbing the stairs together in the most cordial of postures.

And this is not the only Palestinian flag to have "appeared" in this edition of Eurovision which took place in Israel. Indeed, the Icelandic group Hatari waved Palestinian flags during the announcement of the results.