Israel has said it will refuse to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest if the organizers try to censor its song. This is stated in the material of the BBC, reports UNN.
Details
The lyrics to the song "October Rain" by Israeli Eurovision contender Eden Golan have been revealed. According to the Israeli press, the lyrics "They were all good kids, every single one of them" refer to the victims of the October 7 Hamas attacks. The song also contains other references to Hamas attacks on civilians.
The Eurovision Song Contest organizer, the European Broadcasting Union, said it is currently evaluating the song. The contest rules prohibit political messages, which is a gesture of neutrality.
In a statement regarding Israel's application for the 2024 contest, the organizers noted that the song is still being evaluated.
The process of scrutinizing the lyrics is ongoing and is confidential until a final decision is made. If a song is deemed unacceptable for any reason, participants are given the opportunity to submit a new song or new lyrics
However, the Israeli public broadcaster KAN said it would reject any request to change the lyrics. Therefore, if the song is not approved by the European Broadcasting Union, Israel will not participate in the contest, which will be held in Sweden next May.
Recall
The language union has previously forced national representatives to change lyrics. In 2009, Georgia refused to participate in the contest after their proposed song "We Don't Wanna Put In" was rejected due to obvious references to the russian president.