The IDF’s Home Front Command has added the Swedish city of Malmo, which is hosting the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, to its Israeli alert application in order to provide real-time danger alerts to Israelis who have arrived in the city despite the associated risks and travel warnings.
Additionally, alerts also will be added for Israelis in the neighboring city of Copenhagen, Denmark, due to a potential threat to Israelis arriving in that city as well.
To activate the alerts, Israelis in Malmo need to download the IDF’s Home Front Command application and then add their specific area to a designated location in the application. Alerts will be received in cases of major demonstrations that could escalate into riots, or in cases of terrorist attacks, in order to warn Israelis from entering the area.
Meanwhile, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar visited Malmo to oversee the security of the Israeli Eurovision delegation, Ynet learned on Tuesday.
Bar traveled to visit the city last week, together with senior representatives of the Shin Bet’s VIP and delegation security unit, with the aim of confirming plans and coordinating security measures with local officials for the Israeli delegation’s security detail.
Bar's visit is considered highly unusual in relation to the usual practice regarding Israeli delegations at Eurovision and comes amid the war in Gaza. The visit also comes against the backdrop of the high-risk security level announced in the city since the beginning of the war, specifically considering Sweden’s very complex security preparations for the event.
Shin Bet estimates say there may be elements attempting to provoke the Israeli delegation, which increases the importance of professional coordination between the Israelis and their local counterparts.
The first semifinal set for Tuesday will force the Israeli delegation to remain in their hotel only. The Israeli security detail estimates that the closer the hours approach to the contest’s opening, the chances of clashes in the city, attacks on Israelis and, in this context, alerts for a specific attack warnings against the Israeli delegation will increase.
In addition, security measures for performer Eden Golan and her escorts are also intensifying, using various means to avoid disclosing their location or movement from their hotel and back.