Israel agrees to revise Eurovision song lyrics that evoked Hamas attack

European Broadcasting Union, which organises Eurovision, previously said it was in the process of scrutinising the lyrics

Fans at the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, England in 2023. Photograph: Mary Turner/The New York Times

Sun Mar 3 2024 - 20:38

Israel has agreed to revise the lyrics of its potential submission to the Eurovision Song Contest after the contest organisers took issue with verses that appeared to reference Hamas’s October 7th attack, Israel’s national broadcaster Kan said on Sunday.

Eurovision, which this year will take place on May 7th-11th in the Swedish city of Malmo, bills itself as a non-political event and can disqualify contestants deemed to have breached that rule. Broadcaster Kan is tasked with choosing Israel’s entry.

The leading Israeli submission is October Rain, a ballad sung by woman soloist Eden Golan.

According to lyrics leaked to the media, and later confirmed by Kan, it includes lines such as “There’s no air left to breathe” and “They were all good children, each one of them” – apparent allusions to people who holed up in shelters as Hamas gunmen carried out a killing and kidnapping spree at an outdoor music festival and other sites which sparked the war in Gaza.

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Kan said it has asked the writers of October Rain and second-place finalist Dance Forever to revise their lyrics, while also preserving their artistic freedom. It will then officially choose the song to send to the Eurovision committee.

The European Broadcasting Union, which organises Eurovision and has previously said it was in the process of scrutinising the lyrics, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Kan's decision.

The Israeli broadcaster said it agreed to make the changes following a request from the country’s president, Yitzhak Herzog.

“The president emphasised that at this time in particular, when those who hate us seek to push aside and boycott the state of Israel from every stage, Israel must sound its voice with pride and its head high and raise its flag in every world forum, especially this year,” Kan said. – Reuters

Israel Eurovision Song Contest