Israel’s Eurovision song approved after lyrics revision

GENEVA

Israel said on March 7 its entry "Hurricane" had been approved for the popular Eurovision Song Contest, appearing to end a dispute over political content.

The European Broadcasting Union informed Israeli public broadcaster Kan that the song, performed by 20-year-old Russian-Israeli singer Eden Golan, was being giving the green light "after discussing the lyrics of the song... and listening to its performance," Kan said in a statement.

In late February Israel said it would not take part in the competition if organisers rejected its entries "October Rain" and "Dance Forever," which reportedly referenced victims of Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.

Later, Israel said it had asked lyricists to revise its proposed entry.

One line from the original lyrics of "October Rain" read: "They were all good children, every one of them," according to Kan, which published the lyrics in full on its website.

"Hurricane" features the same music as "October Rain" but has different lyrics, Kan said.

Israel in 1973 became the first non-European country to enter Eurovision, and its participation and hosting of the event have regularly run into controversy.

In 2019, Icelandic band Hatari, who previously challenged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a Nordic folk wrestling match, made pro-Palestinian statements during the vote count in Tel Aviv.

Organisers also gave U.S. pop icon Madonna a ticking off after her dancers flouted political neutrality rules by wearing Israeli and Palestinian flags on their costumes.

This year's competition comes against the backdrop of the war, sparked by the Hamas attack which resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people in Israel, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Militants also took about 250 hostages, with 130 still held in Gaza although 31 are believed to be dead, Israeli officials said.

Israel's military response has killed at least 30,800 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.