Israel agrees to revise lyrics rejected by Eurovision
Al Jazeera
Public broadcaster Kan says Israeli President Herzog has called for adjustments of song due to political content.
Israel has reportedly asked lyricists to revise the country’s proposed Eurovision Song Contest entries, potentially heading off a dispute with organisers over political content.
In a statement on Sunday, Israeli public broadcaster Kan said President Isaac Herzog had called for “necessary adjustments” to ensure Israel’s inclusion in the event, which it has won four times.
Authorities last week said Israel would not be able to participate in this year’s edition of the competition, which will be held in Sweden in May, if organisers rejected the song chosen to represent the country. Eurovision rules ban political content.
The song selected as Israel’s entry to the competition – October Rain – reportedly references victims of Hamas’s October 7 attacks on southern Israel that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
The Israeli broadcaster has “contacted the lyricists of the two selected songs, ‘October Rain’ which was chosen in first place and ‘Dance Forever’ which came in second, and asked them to re-adapt the texts, while preserving their artistic freedom”, the statement said.
