Israel’s public broadcaster announced today that it has requested changes to the lyrics of a Eurovision Song Contest entry that was “blocked” last week by contest organizers over a possible violation of political neutrality rules.
According to the BBC, although the Israel Broadcasting Corporation (known as IPBC or KAN) had initially pledged not to change the lyrics of October Rain (the title is an obvious reference to the attack on Hamas in the Israel on October 7) eventually changed his mind.
As the British network points out, there had been an intervention by the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog, who asked for “necessary adjustments” to be made to ensure that Israel could participate in the competition.
Israel has won its Song Contest Eurovision four times in the past. This year’s event will take place in Sweden in May.
Kan is in the process of selecting its entry, with October Rain leading the way and Dance Forever following in second place.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Kan said he contacted the lyricists of both tracks and asked them to modify the lyrics while maintaining their artistic freedom.
According to the protothema, the announcement notes President Herzog’s statement that “at this very time when those who hate us seek to boycott the state of Israel,” the country “must raise its voice” in international forums.
It is recalled that last month, when the European Broadcasting Union said it was reviewing the lyrics, Kan said he had “no intention of replacing the song”.
The selection of the song October Rain, which will be performed by 20-year-old Eden Golan, is expected to be confirmed next Sunday.
The lyrics to the track – written in English – were posted on Kan’s website last month. A catchphrase of the lyrics reads: “They were all good boys, all of them” and “Who said boys don’t cry/Endless hours/And flowers/Life’s not a game for cowards.”
The reference to the flowers was significant, according to the Israel Hayom newspaper, as it often signifies victims of war.
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