Israel today threatened to withdraw from this year’s Eurovision contest if organizers reject his song’s lyrics as too politicized.

Eden Golan and her song “October Rain” have been selected to participate in the annual competition, which will take place in May in Malmö, Sweden.

The song’s lyrics do not overtly refer to the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, but leave no doubt that it is, according to media and observers in Israel.

“Dancing in the storm/We’ve got nothing to hide/Take me home/And leave the world behind/And I promise it won’t happen again/I’m still wet from this October rain/October rain”are for example some of the lyrics of the song published by Israel’s public television KAN.

The question for the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), organizer of the contest, is whether the lyrics of this song can be considered political statements, which Eurovision prohibits.

The EBU said it was ‘looking into the lyrics’ and that no final decision has yet been made.

“If a song is deemed unacceptable for any reason, broadcasters have the option to submit a new song or lyrics, in accordance with the competition rules,” the EBU said.

KAN said this week it was “in discussions” with the EBU about the country’s participation in Eurovision. But he also cautioned that it is “not intended to replace singing.” “This means that if it is not approved by the EBU, Israel will not be able to participate in the competition,” he added.

The prospect of a ban sparked outrage from Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar, who called it “scandalous”.

The song is “touching” and “expresses the feelings of the people and the country these days and is not political,” he wrote on social media.

The attacks carried out by Hamas in Israel on October 7 left at least 1,160 dead. About 250 people were taken hostage, including 130 still being held in Gaza, according to Israeli officials.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 29,600 people so far, according to Hamas’ health ministry.