THE Eden Golan and her song October Rain (October Rain) is this year’s entry that sends the Israel (contest winner) at Eurovisionwhich will take place in May in Malmö, Sweden.

The song has caused a lot of backlash as many claim it refers to her attack Hamas on October 7, 2023 at the Israeli music festival and kibbutzim, at least 1,160 dead and 250 hostages.

The lyrics of the song do not overtly refer to the attack but clearly imply it.

“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.

According to the Israel Hayom newspaper, the song’s lyrics also state: “There is no air left to breathe” and “They were all good guys, every single one of them».

The song is also mentioned in “flowers,” which the newspaper said is military code for deadly wars.

Controversy at the EBU – Israel threatens to withdraw – President Herzog’s intervention

In the face of the reactions, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), competition organizing authority – “examines the lyrics” to decide whether they can be considered political statementssomething that Eurovision typically forbids.

“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.

However, he has not yet made a final decision.

On the part of KAN, it announced that it is indeed “in discussions” with the EBU about the country’s participation in Eurovision. However, he warned that “it is not intended to replace the song”.

“This means that if it is not approved by the EBU, Israel will not be able to participate in the competition,” KAN stressed.

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

The song is “heartwarming” and “ehexpresses the feelings of the people and the country these days and it’s not political,” he wrote on social media.

“I think it is important for Israel to perform at Eurovision, and this is also a statement of why there are haters trying to drive us off every stage“, the Israeli said for his part chairman Isaac Herzog on Sunday, according to the Times of Israel.

“Being smart isn’t just about being right,” he added.

With information from Guardian, BBC