Israel to compete at Eurovision 2024 after changing controversial lyrics
nme.comEurovision 2024 following changes to its controversial lyrics.It follows the news that Israel’s public broadcaster KAN submitted a request to change the lyrics for its entry this year. ‘October Rain’, which will be sung by 20-year-old Eden Golan, appears to contain references to the victims of Hamas’ October 7 attacks.
The song was barred from performance due to breaking rules on political neutrality.“They were all good children, each one of them”, Golan previously sang in the track.
The song also alluded to “flowers”, which has been interpreted as a potential reference to war fatalities. As such, Israel threatened to withdraw from the competition if changes were to be made.However, after Israeli president Isaac Herzog called for “necessary adjustments” to ensure Israel’s participation, KAN have now agreed that Israel’s song will be amended.
Its title has been changed to ‘Hurricane’ and shared this weekend.They said: “The president [Isaac Herzog] 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.”Eurovision organisers European Broadcasting Union (EBU) released their own statement, confirming the entry was now eligible for competition.
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