Israel threatened on Sunday to withdraw from this year’s Eurovision contest if organizers rejected the lyrics of its song as too political. Eden Golan and her song “October Rain” have been chosen to participate in the annual competition, which will take place in May in Malmö, Sweden. His words did not explicitly mention the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel but left no doubt that they were about it, according to media and observers in Israel.
“Dancing in the storm/We’ve got nothing to hide/Take me home/And leave the world behind/And I promise it’ll never happen again/I’m still wet from this October rain /October rain”, for example, says a verse of this song published by the Israeli public broadcasting company (KAN).
The question for the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), organizer of the competition, is whether the lyrics of this song can be considered political statements, which Eurovision prohibits. The EBU said it was “considering the words” and that a final decision had not yet been made. “If a song is deemed unacceptable for any reason, broadcasters have the opportunity to submit a new song or lyrics, in accordance with the competition rules,” the EBU stressed.
Israel has ‘no intention of replacing the song’
KAN said this week it was “in discussions” with the EBU about the country’s participation in Eurovision. But she also warned that she had “no intention of replacing the song.” “This means that if it is not approved by the EBU, Israel will not be able to participate in the competition,” she added.
The prospect of a ban sparked outrage from Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar, who called it “scandalous.” The song is “moving” and “expresses the feelings of the people and the country these days, and is not political,” he wrote on social media.
The attacks perpetrated on October 7 in Israel by Hamas left at least 1,160 dead. Some 250 people were taken hostage, including 130 still detained in Gaza, according to Israeli officials. The offensive launched by Israel in retaliation against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 29,600 people so far, according to the Palestinian movement’s health ministry.