Israel and Eurovision 2024: Lyrics, Decisions, and the Malmö Contest
The European Broadcasting Union accepted Israel into the Eurovision 24 music contest after changes were made to the lyrics of the song October Rain, which was thought to carry political overtones. This development was reported by Blood.
The winner of Israel’s national selection and the country’s contestant in Eurovision was singer Eden Golan. In Russia, the artist is known for his appearance on the show The Voice Children. He participated in Pelageya’s team during the fifth season and reached the final stage.
On March 3, Israel received acceptance after the European Broadcasting Union observed political overtones in the final selections final texts. The union decided to review the wording of the potential entry and requested adjustments to ensure the bid aligned with Eurovision rules and expectations.
Earlier, the EBU had threatened to disqualify the Israeli broadcaster Kan because the composition October Rain contained hints referencing an attack by the Hamas movement. The song included lines that suggested harm and aggression, which prompted scrutiny from the EBU and other stakeholders.
In initial responses, Kan stated it did not plan to change the lyrics. However, a high level intervention came from Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who urged participation in the competition. Following his involvement, Kan asked the creators of the winning song to revise the lyrics of the second place entry Dance Forever, as well as October Rain, to satisfy the concerns raised by the EBU and the broader Eurovision community.
Eurovision 2024 is scheduled to take place in Malmö, Sweden, from May 7 to May 11. The event will showcase performances from a range of participating nations and will conclude with the grand final in mid May.
Previously, there had been discussions around the city that would host the Russian equivalent of Eurovision, but the announcement of Malmö as the venue for the 2024 edition stood as the official plan for the contest that year.