Israel could be facing disqualification from the Eurovision Song Contest after two proposed songs have reportedly been rejected due to their ‘political nature’.
The tracks titled ‘October Rain’ and its runner up ‘Dance Forever’ are rumoured to have been turned down by the competition, giving the country until March 11 to submit a song that complies with the rules.
Last week, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the body in charge of the contest, hinted that they might reject Israel’s candidate, Euronews reports.
Their proposed contender was 20-year-old Russian-Israeli singer Eden Golan, who was hoping to sing ‘October Rain’.
However, the ‘political’ nature of the song may have caused its dismissal from the famous competition as it was alleged to be in breach of impartiality rules.
Their proposed contender was 20-year-old Russian-Israeli singer Eden Golan (above), who was hoping to sing ‘October Rain’
The track supposedly made references to the victims of Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on October 7.
Some of the lyrics read: ‘There’s no air left to breathe / There is no place for me / They were all good children, each one of them’.
‘Dancing in the storm / We’ve got nothing to hide / Take me home and leave the world behind / And I promise this will never happen again / I’m still wet from this October rain / October rain,’ sings Golan.
The song also makes references to ‘flowers’ which is sometimes used as military code for war fatalities.
As a non-political event, Eurovision can disqualify contestants deemed to have breached its strict impartiality rules.
All songs submitted are checked by the EBU before the competition to ensure they comply with the rules.
Top Israeli officials and public figures, however, have said that any attempt to penalise the ballad would be ‘scandalous’. Israeli culture minister Miki Zohar went on social media to complain about the reports of added scrutiny on Israel’s submission.
‘The song of Israel, which will be performed by Eden Golan, is a moving song, which expresses the feelings of the people and the country these days, and is not political,’ he wrote.
Israel could be facing disqualification from the Eurovision Song Contest after two proposed songs have reportedly been rejected due to their ‘political nature’
‘Dance Forever’ finished second to ‘October Rain’ in the special jury vote, making it the alternative song for Golan
‘The intention of the EBU to disqualify the Israeli song for Eurovision – scandalous.’ Israeli-British illusionist Uri Geller also commented, saying: ‘For goodness sake, Ukraine’s winning entry [Kalush Orchestra] in 2022 was about the resilience of the Ukrainian people, so what is the problem? It’s clearly a different rule because it is Israel.’
An EBU spokesman said it was ‘scrutinising the lyrics’, adding: ‘All broadcasters have until March 11 to formally submit their entries. If a song is deemed unacceptable, broadcasters are given the opportunity to submit a new song or new lyrics.’ The final will be on May 11.
When it comes to ‘Dance Forever,’ Israel’s second submitted song, allegedly it’s acceptance is also up in the air for similar reasons.
Israeli news website YNET reported that the EBU has reportedly rejected the song, quoting an unnamed source within the Foreign Ministry.
The source allegedly said: ‘The alternative option has also been ruled out.’
It comes after ‘Dance Forever’ finished second to ‘October Rain’ in the special jury vote, making it the alternative song for Golan.
YNET published the lyrics so the song, but didn’t verify why it was allegedly disqualified.
Euronews report that a possible reason could be that the ballad refers to the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival on October 7, where 364 people were killed.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
