At the semifinals press conference on Thursday night, Klein was heard testily interjecting a question to Golan about whether her presence was putting other contestants’ safety at risk.
After being told by organisers that she did not have to answer the question, Klein loudly interjected asking: “Why not?”
He then proceeded to sit through her answer with his arms crossed and eyes closed, while Greece’s entrant Marina Satti was seen feigning sleep and yawning while Golan spoke.
Speaking to journalists on Friday, Ireland’s entrant Bambie Thug broke down in tears as they revealed that they had cried with their team when Israel qualified for the grand final.
“It’s overshadowed everything,” Thug, whose real name is Bambie Ray Robinson, said of Israel’s inclusion while wearing a symbolic pro-Palestine Keffiyeh around their neck.
“It goes against everything that Eurovision is meant to be,” they added, “And it’s a big community, together, and their contestant was never allowed to even meet us – God forbid we have some conversation and minds might be changed. So it’s definitely putting a cloud above it.”
Asked about how they think the EBU could better handle the political issue of Israel’s involvement, the Irish singer said: “Gaining some heart and some conscience and some humanity.”
Their comments followed the former Finland Eurovision competitor insisting he does not “endorse” Israel’s involvement in this year’s competition after a video emerged of him dancing with Golan.