Noa Kirel performs the song "Unicorn" at the Eurovision 2023 final in Liverpool, England/Corinne Cumming / EBU / here 11
The Palestinian singer Bashar Murad, a resident of East Jerusalem, qualified for the pre-Eurovision final in Iceland and is expected to compete next week against four other singers to represent the country in the European singing competition with the song Vestrið villt ("The Wild West").
Murad recently clarified that he has not yet decided whether to participate in the Eurovision under the assumption that Israel will participate.
Murad, openly gay, was born in Daheit al-Brid and grew up in Beit Hanina.
He lived for several years in the USA, after which he returned to East Jerusalem, and he even studied for a year at the "Rimon" music school in Ramat Hasharon. Murad, 31, collaborated with the Tari band, Iceland's representative in the Eurovision Song Contest held in Tel Aviv, in the song "Kalfi/ Tsamed", which is remembered for the waving of the Palestinian flag in the final event.
After the European Broadcasting Union clarified several times in recent weeks that Israel will participate in Eurovision 2024 to be held in Sweden, the Broadcasting Authority of Iceland announced that in light of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza - it will consider its participation in Eurovision. Broadcasting Authority The Icelandic - RUV - issued a statement according to which the pre-Eurovision contest will be held in the country as planned, but the decision on Iceland's participation in the Eurovision will be made "in consultation with the winner of the pre-Eurovision." The Broadcasting Authority clarified that the hesitation regarding participation in the Eurovision stems from the criticism of Israel for its part in the war in Gaza.
Last Thursday we published in Walla!
Culture that a senior member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) clarified in a conversation with an Israeli official that if there is no change in the lyrics of the song "October Rain" - the song will be definitively disqualified.
The European Broadcasting Union told the same Israeli source that the decision whether to change the words is now in the hands of the corporation, and made it clear that if it decides not to change - Israel will not participate in Eurovision, so says the Israeli Lavala who spoke with the EBU executive.
Yesterday it was announced that the European Broadcasting Union is considering disqualifying the song, which was created by Avi Ohion, Keren Pels and Stav Begar and was chosen to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden, performed by Aden Golan, on the grounds that the song contains political lyrics, and that in Israel they do not intend to replace the song or change its lyrics.
Now, as mentioned, according to the words of the senior member of the European Broadcasting Union, it turns out that the EBU's decision is final.
Earlier today officials in the Israeli music industry assessed in a conversation with Walla!
Culture because the chance that Israel will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden this year is low.
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Eurovision 2023