Lebanese singer Carine Bassili covers Israel Eurovision Song 'Hurricane'

Carine Bassili, a Lebanese-American singer, posted a video on Instagram in early May, performing an Arabic rendition of Israel’s Eurovision entry, “Hurricane.”

 “Hurricane,” written by Israeli Eden Golan, was Israel’s 2024 Eurovision song. It was created to reflect an Israeli outlook on the October 7 Hamas attacks. The song’s release sparked controversy as it was seen as a political statement in favor of Israel in the current war.

Responses to "Hurricane" release

Upon coming out, “Hurricane” received hate from viewers and competitors alike, who claimed that Golan should not be permitted to perform due to Israel’s state of war.

Fellow performers mocked Eden directly, pretending to fall asleep as she answered interview questions or forcing posts to be taken down if they included her. Audience members chanted “Free Palestine” and booed during her performance.

When Carine heard about the hate Eden Golan was receiving at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden, she was determined to take a stand. In an interview with Ynet, Bassili explained that she feels that “as someone who sings … as an artist, as a singer, I felt it was very unfair how she was treated.” Having been raised as a Christian in Lebanon, she attributes her pro-Israel mentality to the biblical education she received.

On May 11, 2024, Carine Bassili uploaded a video clip in which she sang Golan’s “Hurricane” in Arabic. The video quickly went viral and provoked conversation on the internet.

Bassili stands up to hate

She has described the hostile response to her support for Israel, claiming that most of her friends are scared to approach her or talk to her about the topic. This, however, did not dissuade Carine from showing her backing for Israel and Eden Golan herself. The singer also expressed her desire to create peace between the Israeli and the Lebanese.

Carine decided to learn the Arabic version of ”Hurricane” as a way “to support her and to be able to tell her, ‘Hey you know, I’m from Lebanon … yes, it sounds crazy, but I want to tell you that I support you and I’m here for you and this is a gift for you.’”

To honor the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attacks, Bassili recorded the Arabic version “Hurricane” at a studio in Tel Aviv. The track, entitled “October Rain,” was released by Carine on Tuesday, October 1.

”I believe what I’m doing is a step towards peace, and this is how it looks like. You know, for me, it’s in music."