Jerusalem (CNN) Madonna intends to perform at the Eurovision Song Contest final in Tel Aviv, Israel, this weekend, despite calls by activists for her to boycott the event, the singer said Tuesday.

Nearly 200 million people are expected to tune-in on Saturday to the competition, which pits singers and bands from different countries against each other in a live final with public voting.

But politics and controversy, as well as security concerns, have threatened to overshadow the competition, especially after a flare up of violence between militants in Gaza and the Israeli Army last week.

Four people in Israel and more than 20 people in Gaza were killed in two days of fighting, before mediators managed to restore a ceasefire , even as rehearsals for the competition were getting underway.

News that Madonna had been booked as a guest performer had provoked opponents of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories to demand she re-think her commitment.

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