Israel’s participation in the next Eurovision Song Contest hangs by a thread. According to several Israeli media, the festival organizers do not look favorably on the song that the Hebrew country has presented. The lyrics, they point out, include political messages and explicit references to the Gaza war. The song is titled October Rain and would have to be performed by the singer Eden Golan, a young woman who won a local television talent.
At this point, however, the chosen topic has not yet been heard because, due to doubts expressed by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), publication is being delayed.
Despite everything, everything indicates that the title of the song October Rain could be related to the Hamas attack on October 7 that triggered the current Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip.
What’s more, a member of the Israeli preselection jury already said publicly that the country’s song for Eurovision needed to “explain the history, the narrative of Israel” and that the artist had to keep in mind “that behind every word he utters there is a much greater meaning. “Even if it’s not through words, through your eyes you need to explain this story. We have to choose a song that reflects our situation and shows the world that we are here to stay,” he noted.
It is not the first time that the Eurovision Song Contest vetoes the proposal of one of the countries. For example, in 2021 the festival declassified Belarus for the same reason. The fact is that according to the rules of the festival, Eurovision is not a political contest and, therefore, the television networks that participate are in charge of guaranteeing that none of the songs they present include political messages. It is this rule that the EBU uses to express the doubts that could trigger a possible veto against Israel.
For this reason, they have been asked to either change the lyrics or send a new proposal. Now, the network has already responded that they do not plan to do so, even if that means they will not be able to participate in Eurovision.
