Israel’s public broadcaster has requested to change the lyrics to its entry for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. The country’s selection for the contest is ‘October Rain’ by the 20-year-old Eden Golan. The song’s lyrics allegedly contain references to the victims of Hamas’ October 7 attacks.
“They were all good children, each one of them”, Golan sings on the track. The song also refer to “flowers”, which has been noted as a potential reference to war fatalities.
In response, the European Broadcast Union, said it was “currently in the process of scrutinizing the lyrics, a process which is confidential between the EBU and the broadcaster until a final decision has been taken. If a song is deemed unacceptable for any reason, broadcasters are then given the opportunity to submit a new song or new lyrics.”
The Israeli broadcaster KAN initially said that they would withdraw from this year’s competition if the event’s organizers attempted to censor their entry.
Israel’s inclusion in this year’s competition has made controversy on both sides. In January, an open letter was signed by over 1,000 Swedish artists including Fever Ray, Viagra Boys and First Aid Kit, calling for Israel to be withdrawn from competing at the finale in Malmö, Sweden on May 11. Gene Simmons of Kiss and David Draiman were among the musicians arguing for Israel’s inclusion.
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