ReutersSinger Eden Golan is the intended Israeli candidate for the Eurovision Song Contest
NOS Nieuws•gisteren, 21:14
Israel will adjust the lyrics of the song that the country will submit to the Eurovision Song Contest. This was announced by the Israeli broadcaster Kan, which is responsible for the entry.
In Israel it will be announced in more than a week which song will be submitted for the song festival. There are two songs left in the race, October Rain in Dance Forever. However, according to Eurovision organizer EBU, the lyrics of both songs are against the rules that require entries to be apolitical.
No one has heard the songs yet, but lyrics have been leaked. October Rain, which is a favorite to be submitted, clearly refers to the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, according to experts. The song contains phrases such as “there’s no oxygen left to breathe” and “they were all good kids, every one of them”.
Also the second choice, Dance Forever, was too politically charged according to the EBU. References were made to the Nova music festival, which was attacked by Hamas on October 7. Both songs are by the same singer, Eden Golan.
Eurovision Song Contest organizer EBU asked Israel to adjust the lyrics. Kan initially refused, but the broadcaster has now changed tack. According to Kan, this is happening at the request of Israeli President Herzog.
Call for boycott
Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest this year has already attracted a lot of criticism due to the war in Gaza. In Sweden, Finland, Norway and Iceland, artists called on their broadcasters to withdraw from the song festival if Israel participates. The EBU said in a response that it is not excluding Israel from the competition because “it is a competition for broadcasters – not governments – and the Israeli broadcaster has been participating for fifty years.”
A petition calling for a boycott of Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest has now been signed more than 45,000 times. Signatories are also called upon to file a complaint with the EBU.
2024-03-03 20:14:17
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