The chances of seeing Israel participate in Eurovision are gradually diminishing.
After first rejecting the song initially proposed by Israel entitled “October Rain” last week, the EBU again refused the proposal from Kan, Israeli public television.
The country, which selected its representative Eden Golan via a telephone call at the beginning of February, announced on February 12 that it wanted to participate with a song “reflecting the current situation of the country”, at war against Hamas since the attacks of October 7.
An announcement strongly criticized, the competition prohibiting the use of political messages in the texts of the participating songs.
Also read Eurovision 2024: why the case of Israel is debated between the participating countries
If the validation of songs by the EBU is generally only a formality, the Swiss-based organization decided to reject the first song by singer Eden Golan because the lyrics echoed the deadly attacks carried out by Hamas on the 7th. last October.
A “scandalous” decision according to Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar, for whom it was a “moving song that expresses the feelings of the people and the country”.
“Someone is calling me from heaven”
Israeli media Ynet reveals that Israel's second proposal was rejected for the same reason.
“Dance forever”, whose lyrics are in English but also in Hebrew, alludes to the Hamas attack at the Nova Music festival on October 7, where 364 people were killed.
“I'm drowning in the dawn”, “My heart is so cold, but my soul is burning”, “Someone is calling me from heaven”, “Hope never ceases, it just spreads its wings” “ Like a million stars that suddenly light up the sky,” say the words relayed by the Israeli media.
Israel Katz, the foreign minister, expressed frustration at the new refusal, emphasizing Israel's right to share its lived experiences.
If the Israeli delegation continues to seek a solution with the EBU, some sources say they are "pessimistic" about finding a favorable outcome before mid-March, the date on which Israel must send a song compliant with the regulations of the EBU. Eurovision.