Jewish-Arab duo to go on to Eurovision finale

A Jewish-Arab duo representing Israel is among the finalists in the Eurovision Song Contest after semifinals in Moscow Tuesday night.

Achinoam Nini, known as Noa, and Mira Awad performed the song There Must Be Another Way, which has lyrics in Hebrew, Arabic and English.

Presented as a plea for peace, it was cheered on by at least 50 Israeli fans in the live audience in Moscow.

"We feel our victory is not only for both of us and for our song, but also for what we represent," Tel Aviv-born singer Noa told journalists after the show. "We represent hundreds of thousands of people who are moderates, who choose life over death."

On Tuesday evening, 10 semifinalists were chosen, including:

• Sweden, Malena Ernman, La Voix.
• Bosnia-Herzegovina, Regina, Bistra.
• Malta, Chiara, What If We.
• Armenia, Inga and Anush Arshakyan, Nor par.
• Turkey, Hadise, Dum Tek Tek.
• Romania, Elena Gheorghe, The Balkan Girls.
• Finland, Waldo's People, Lose Control.
• Portugal, Flor de Lis, Todas as Ruas do Amor.
• Iceland, Johanna Gudrun Jonsdottir, Is It True.

Another semifinal round will be held Thursday, followed by the final contest on Saturday.

More than 100 million people watch the televised final every year, despite its reputation for cheesy acts and outright schmaltz.

Romanian performer Elena Gheorghe wooed the crowd in a scanty outfit, crooning the words: "My hips are ready to glow."

Malta's entry, Chiara, was in her third Eurovision competition and said she was excited to be in the final.

However, Dutch group De Toppers has threatened to withdraw from the Eurovision Song Contestif Russian authorities crack down on a gay parade planned for Saturday in Moscow.

"If we get to the final and the demonstration is suppressed by force, I refuse to get on that stage in Moscow," singer-songwriter Cornelis Willem Gordon, who goes by Gordon and is part of the Dutch trio, said in a TV interview Tuesday.

"If my kind of people are discriminated against in this way, there is no reason for me to be there," he said.