Alleged allusion to Hamas casts doubt on Israel’s Eurovision participation

Israel said it will quit the Eurovision Song Contest if the organizers try to limit or control its song.

Eden Golan’s October Rain lyrics were shared with the media this week.

According to the Israel Hayom newspaper, the song is about the people who were hurt in the Hamas attacks on October 7th. The lyrics say, “They were all good children, each one of them. ”

The group that puts on Eurovision, the EBU, is currently looking at the song.

The competition’s rules say no political messages are allowed to be fair.

In the past, the EBU made national representatives change their song lyrics. In 2009, Georgia left the contest because their song, “We Don’t Wanna Put In,” was not allowed because it mentioned the Russian president.

In a statement about Israel joining a competition in 2024, the organisers said they are currently looking carefully at the song’s words. This is a secret process between the organisers and the broadcaster until they make a final decision.

“If a song is not allowed for some reason, broadcasters can send a different song or new words to use instead. ”

KAN, Israel’s public broadcaster, stated that it would not change the lyrics even if asked to.

“The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation has no plans to change the song. ”

“This means that if Israel’s entry is not accepted by the European Broadcasting Union, they cannot compete in the contest happening in Sweden next May. ”

Controversial choice

KAN also said that the leaked words for October Rain were right, and showed them all on its website on Wednesday.

The song is called a “touching and strong slow song” and it repeats the line “I’m still soaking from this October rain. ”

Golan sings in the song: “Don’t believe people who say boys don’t cry/ Life is tough and not a game for the scared ones. ”

Israel Hayom says that the mention of flowers is important because it is a military term for soldiers who have died in war.

The song finishes with these words in Hebrew: “I can’t breathe, there’s no place, and I feel lost every day. ”

KAN said that Israel’s culture minister Miki Zohar asked the President of the EBU to approve the song.

Mr Zohar thinks it would be very wrong to disqualify the song. He called it “scandalous. ”

“Eden Golan will sing a song about Israel that expresses the feelings of the people and the country. It’s not a political song. ”

We want Eurovision to be about music and culture, not politics. Each country should show their own style and pride through their songs.

“I ask the European Broadcasting Union to keep doing their job well and not let politics interfere with art. ”

Asking to be disqualified.

Musicians from other countries in Eurovision want Israel to be stopped from participating because of the war in Gaza.

In December, the music group in Iceland said Israel’s military action made it impossible for them to take part in an event that is supposed to be happy and hopeful.

Protests have happened in Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden too. People are saying Russia should not be allowed because they invaded Ukraine two years ago.

Up until now, Eurovision organisers have not agreed to exclude Israel from the competition. They say the situations in Ukraine and Gaza are not the same.

Noel Curran, the boss of the European Broadcasting Union, said that it’s not our job to compare wars and conflicts because it’s complicated and hard to do.

“We know that people are worried and have strong opinions about the fighting in the Middle East,” he said. He said that Eurovision is not a competition between countries.

The EBU agrees with other international groups, like sports unions and federations, that are also letting Israeli participants join big competitions.

The minister wrote in a letter that Israel is going through a very complicated time. He said this should be considered when choosing a song to represent the country.