Organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest have said they are “reviewing” the lyrics of Israel’s entry after it was claimed to refer to the October 7 attacks by Hamas.
Lyrics from Israel’s entry, October Rain, sung by Eden Golan, have been leaked to the media. According to the Israel Hayom newspaper, the song’s lyrics include: “There’s no air left to breathe” and “They were all good guys, every one of them.”
Organizers in Malmö said the city’s security is taking into account the war situation in Gaza, the war in Ukraine, Sweden’s application to join NATO and cyber security threats.
The song also refers to “flowers,” which the newspaper said is military code for the war dead.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which runs the competition – which will be held in Malmo, Sweden in May – describes the song contest as a non-political event. Contestants may be disqualified if they violate this rule.
Lyrics review process
Earlier this month, there were protests and petitions calling for Israel to pull out of the event because of the war in Gaza, but the EBU said last week it had conducted a review and ruled that Israel could participate.
On TikTok, videos of users of the application are constantly being uploaded, who call for Israel to be excluded from Eurovision, because of the bloody war in Gaza.
“If a song is deemed unacceptable for any reason, broadcasters are then given the opportunity to submit a new song or new lyrics, in accordance with the competition rules”
Organizers in Malmö said the city’s security is taking into account the war situation in Gaza, the war in Ukraine, Sweden’s application to join NATO and cyber security threats.
A Eurovision spokesperson said: “The EBU is currently in the process of reviewing the lyrics, a process which is confidential between the EBU and the broadcaster until a final decision is made.”
@simplysimone #greenscreen ♬ original sound – Simone Umba
“All broadcasters have until March 11 to officially submit their entries. If a song is deemed unacceptable for any reason, broadcasters are then given the opportunity to submit a new song or new lyrics, in accordance with the competition rules.’
What the Minister of Culture of Israel, Miki Zohar, said
Israel’s national broadcaster Kan, which sponsors the Israeli entry, confirmed to Reuters that the leaked lyrics were accurate and said it was in “dialogue” with the EBU over the matter.
Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar said it would be “scandalous” to ban the song, which he said was not political.
“The song of Israel, which will be performed by Eden Golan, is a moving song, which expresses the feelings of the people and the country these days and is not political,” he wrote in X.
“We all hope that Eurovision will remain a musical and cultural event rather than a political arena – where participating countries can bring their uniqueness and national identity to the stage through music. I call on the European Broadcasting Union to continue to act professionally and neutrally and not to let politics influence art.”
*With information from Guardian | Theme main photo: Eurovision | YouTube Channel
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