This week's events have thrown Israelis into emotional turmoil. The American decision to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem on May 14 triggered large-scale demonstrations on the Israeli-Gaza border. Over the past few days, live media broadcasts kept switching from the Jerusalem ceremony to the riots in Gaza, with breaks to focus on Israel winning the Eurovision Song Contest.
Tens of thousands of people celebrated Israel’s Eurovision win at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv May 14. But while the winning singer Netta Barzilai appeared on stage, some Israelis saw the celebration as inappropriate given the tensions in the south, where the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were busy fending off the attempts of thousands of Palestinians to breach the border fence, killing over 60 of them.