The original lyrics to Israel’s Eurovision song banned for breaking rules

Israel’s original entry song was revised due to lyrics referencing Hamas (Picture: Reuters)

Israel was forced to change the lyrics of its original entry song performed by Eden Golan to avoid being disqualified from the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

The 20-year-old had been set to perform October Rain until there was backlash after it was revealed that it contained references to the Hamas attack on October 7.

After mounting pressure, the country’s broadcaster Kan said it had reached out to the songwriters to ‘readjust the texts, with full artistic freedom’ before being sent to the Eurovision Broadcasting Union for approval.

Now, Golan is performing a revised version of the song, called Hurricane. She is performing in the second semi-finals tonight with the bookies expecting her to qualify for the grand finals.

Lyrics in October Rain included: ‘There’s no air left to breathe / No place, no me from day to day.’

The song, which was mostly sung in English and was said to end with the last three lines in Hebrew, evoking the Hamas conflict, ends with: ‘They were all good children each one of them.’

Golan is now performing a song titled Hurricane, rather than the original October Rain (Picture: AP)

It had also been reported that Golan would have sung the word ‘flowers’ which, when understood in context, is said to refer to fallen IDF soldiers in battle, in her line: ‘Who told you boys don’t cry/ Hours and hours/ And flowers/ Life is not a game for the cowards.’

The entry had come under fire after these lyrics prompted accusations that they were ‘spreading propaganda’ and contained a political message with reference to the Hamas attacks.

The changes to October Rain were made after a request from the country’s president, Isaac Herzog.

‘The president emphasized 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,’ Kan said, according to Reuters.

Bookies believe Golan will qualify for the Eurovision grand finals (Picture: Reuters)

Israel’s inclusion in the Eurovision Song Contest has sparked widespread backlash due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, with some even boycotting the annual event.

There have also been continued demonstrations in Sweden qnd the week of Eurovision has already seen small gatherings in Malmo and at the Eurovision village when Austrian 2014 winner Conchita Wurst was on stage.

Today a heavy police presence descended on Malmo’s main square ahead of a pro-Palestinian march, which a spokesperson for the force would cause ‘disturbance to traffic.’

Eden, who was born in Israel and raised in Russia, was selected to perform after winning a TV talent show, on which she performed Aerosmith’s I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing.

There have been protests over Israel’s inclusion in Eurovision (Picture: Backgrid)

She follows in the footsteps of last year’s entry Noa Kirel, who finished the 2023 Song Contest in third place.

The Eurovision Song Contest previously told Metro.co.uk that it ‘it is a competition for broadcasters – not governments – and the Israeli public broadcaster has participated in the Contest for 50 years.’

They added that Israeli public broadcaster Kan ‘meets all the competition rules and can participate’.

‘We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the current conflict in the Middle East. We can’t fail to be moved by the profound suffering of all those caught up in this terrible war. A lot of the images from Israel and Gaza that audiences are watching every day are provided through the EBU News Exchange, which we run with our members,’ it continued.

There has been a police presence in Malmo due to demonstrations (Picture: Reuters)

‘However, the Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political music event and a competition between public service broadcasters who are members of the EBU. It is not a contest between governments.

‘We are aware of the many voices calling to exclude Israel from this year’s competition in the same way as we excluded the Russian broadcaster in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine.

‘Comparisons between wars and conflicts are complex and difficult and, as a non-political media organization, not ours to make. In the case of Russia, the Russian broadcasters themselves were suspended from the EBU due to their persistent breaches of membership obligations and the violation of public service values.

‘The relationship between Kan and the Israeli Government is fundamentally different to the relationship that exists between those Russian Members and the State, with the Israeli Government in recent years threatening to close down the broadcaster.

‘The EBU is aligned with other international organizations, including sports unions and federations and other international bodies, that have similarly maintained their inclusive stance towards Israeli participants in major competitions at this time.

‘We remain committed to ensuring the Eurovision Song Contest remains a non-political event that continues to unite audiences worldwide through music.’

The next Eurovision Song Contest Semi-Finals will air on Thursday, May 9, at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer. The Grand Final airs on Saturday, May 11, at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

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