Eurovision: Israel to Revise Song Lyrics to Avoid Disqualification

Israeli broadcaster Kan announced on March 3 that it had agreed to edit the lyrics of the song that the country's representative will perform at Eurovision. This decision came after the European Broadcasting Union disqualified Israel's song due to the political direction of the lyrics, as reported by the Times of Israel.

Initially, Kan stated its refusal to alter the content of the song to be submitted to the contest or to replace it with another. However, following a statement by the country's president, Isaac Herzog, asserting that "Israel, especially this year, must be heard," Kan reversed its decision.

On Sunday, representatives of the broadcaster announced that they had contacted the authors of the two best songs presented in the selection — "October Rain" and "Dance Forever" — and asked them to "rework the lyrics with complete creative freedom" to then choose one and submit it for approval to the European Broadcasting Union.

Later on Sunday, Kan representatives announced that they would submit a new song titled "Hurricane" for the competition, based on the melody of "October Rain" but with entirely new lyrics telling the story of a young woman experiencing a personal crisis. Kan noted that the song would still require approval from the European Broadcasting Union, but if the song is rejected again, Israel may appeal the decision.

"This is a different and special year, and we are dealing with something we have not encountered in previous years. It is more important than ever for me to represent my country with pride, and if that happens, I will work as hard as possible to know that I did everything I could," said singer Eden Golan, who will represent Israel at Eurovision this year.

However, many in European countries are calling for Israel to be excluded from Eurovision due to the military operation the country conducted in the Gaza Strip in response to a terrorist attack by Hamas last October. Israel expects that regardless of which song is presented at the contest, Eden Golan will face protests and booing during her participation in the song contest, which will take place on May 7-9 in Malmö, Sweden.

It is worth noting that at the beginning of February, Ukraine was considered the top contender to win Eurovision 2024. After the national selection, won by the duo of performers Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil with the song "Teresa & Maria," Ukraine's chances of winning, according to bookmakers, stood at 18%. However, the current favourite among bookmakers is Croatia and its performer Baby Lasagna with the song "Rim Tim Tagi Dim," with odds of winning estimated at 17%. Ukraine has now dropped to second place, with a likelihood of victory at 15%.