Israel threatens to withdraw from competition if its song is rejected for its lyrics

Israel threatened on Sunday to withdraw from this year’s Eurovision contest if organizers rejected the lyrics of its song as too political.

Israel threatened on Sunday to boycott the Eurovision 2024 contest if the organizers refused the lyrics of its song, considered too political. Eden Golan and her song October Rain (“October Rain”) have been chosen to participate in the annual competition, which will take place in May in Malmö, Sweden. But the organizers are discussing the content of the words, which are too allusive to the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The lyrics do not explicitly mention the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel but leave no doubt that they are about it, according to media and observers in Israel.

Political song?

“Dancing in the storm/We’ve got nothing to hide/Take me home/And leave the world behind/And I promise you it’ll never happen again/I’m still wet from this October rain/Rain of October“, says for example 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 indicated that it was “examining the lyrics“and that the final decision had not yet been made.”If a song is deemed unacceptable for any reason, broadcasters have the option to submit a new song or lyrics, in accordance with the competition rules.“, however, underlined the EBU.

The Minister of Culture outraged

KAN said this week that it was “in discussion” with the EBU over 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 networks.

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. Israel’s retaliatory offensive against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 29,600 people so far, according to the Palestinian movement’s health ministry.