It was a day of parties but also protests in Israel as the Eurovision final kicked off in Tel Aviv , in arguably one of the most fraught years for the international competition.At the Eurovision village, fans from across Europe and Israel spent the day along the seafront celebrating in the sprawling 15-acre park packed with gourmet food stands, bars and tributes to Israel’s 2018 winner Netta Barzilai.Five miles north at the Expo centre, where the acts performed, small protests gathered outside the main hall chanting at those with tickets as they filed in wearing glittery outfits and flags.From extras.In Jerusalem, clashes broke out between the security forces and Ultraorthodox Jews who were protesting against the desecration of the Sabbath because the final was scheduled for Saturday.Meanwhile across the West Bank and Haifa, a city in Israel with a large Arab population, Palestinians held “Globalvision”, a protest alternative to Eurovision, where they showcased Palestinian singers in an attempt to draw attention to the Israeli occupation of their territory. They lived streamed the acts via Facebook. Even Madonna, who headlined the grand finale, came under fire from pro-Palestinian groups - largely because her Ray of Light foundation, a social justice program, supports a number of Palestinian projects, including funding teachers’ salaries at UN schools across Gaza.