Looking into Israel's struggle at the Eurovision Song Contest this year- opinion

It’s highly unlikely that Israel will emerge victorious in this year’s Eurovision contest. The reason is obvious to anyone who passively consumes news: Israel is not a favored country right now. The war in Gaza has adversely impacted the nation’s popularity, with much of the world claiming that it is committing “genocide” against Palestinians.

Without getting into the illegitimacy of that statement or the history and nuances of this ongoing and uber-complex geopolitical conflict, what’s evident is that the biggest source of consternation regarding Israel’s participation in Eurovision this year is its song, specifically, the lyrics.

“October Rain,” written by Keren Peles and Avi Ohayon, two of Israel’s most widely recognized songwriters, and sung by Eden Golan, a Russian immigrant and teen pop star, makes several references to the massacre of October 7 and the ensuing war in Gaza.

As soon as the lyrics became publicly available, Eurovision organizers barred the song for breaking rules on political neutrality, noting that Eurovision is a “non-political event.” Given the history of the contest, this is a ludicrous and ironic accusation. Israel should be allowed to say its piece, or rather, sing it.

Eurovision songs have been known to carry both subtle and not-so-subtle political messages. Greece’s 1976 song directly lamented Turkey’s 1974 invasion of Cyprus, referencing refugee camps and even the napalm bombings against the Mediterranean island in the 1960s.

Ukraine’s entry by Green Jolly 2005, “Razom Nas Bahato,” was an anthem of 2004’s “Orange Revolution.” An excerpt from the lyrics shows that the song is not only political but even calls for a revolution: “Together we are many, we can’t be defeated. We won’t stand this (No!), revolution is on!” In 2023, Ukraine’s entry, “Heart of Steel,” remarked on the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works battle in early 2022.

To disqualify the Israeli song because it poetically alludes to a horrific event that redefined the country seems misdirected and nonsensical.

While Israeli broadcast station Kan 11 had initially pledged not to alter the lyrics, President Isaac Herzog called for “necessary adjustments” to ensure Israel could enter the show. In response to the president’s plea, Kan said it had contacted the lyricists and asked them to “adapt the texts while preserving their artistic freedom.”

Eurovision song renamed to "Hurricane"

The song was renamed “Hurricane,” and parts of the lyrics were altered so that unlike the original version, which embodied the national crisis and an existential war, the new song is about a young woman emerging from a personal crisis.

How original, right? The new words also do away with a line that refers to “flowers,” a word that Israelis use to connote deceased soldiers. Similarly, it removes the words “never again,” a term often associated with the Holocaust.

Even these changes were insufficient. Even after writing a new text, the creators of the Eurovision entry for Israel were twice asked to change parts of the text over concerns that they could be interpreted as political. Once again, the Israelis concurred, and the song now has Eurovision’s official stamp of approval.

The chairman of the Israeli committee in charge of choosing its Eurovision song, Ofri Gofer, said, “We are convinced that alongside the strong melody and powerful performance by Eden Golan – Europe and the world will not be able to remain indifferent to the song.” The irony here is that whether or not the song is political will most certainly garner a political response.

What was a poignant and meaningful anthem has been reduced to another song. At least the melody remains unchanged.

The last time Eurovision was held during a war, in May 2021, Israel came in 17th. This year, while Israel likely won’t win – regardless of the changed version of the song – one thing is certain: My kids will be up until 1 a.m. to watch, even if hopes for a top ranking are not high.

The writer is a senior policy adviser at the US-Israel Education Association; he is based in Israel