Eurovision 2024 will start on May 7 and last until May 11. This year’s edition will take place in Sweden exactly 50 years after the group’s legendary victory ABBA. This year, representatives of 37 countries will take part, including one returning after over 30 years of absence Luxembourg.
Many fans of the competition wondered whether because of the ongoing conflict Israel the country will be on the participating list.
European Broadcasting Union (EBU)the organizer of the event, decided that Israel is in the competition. “The Eurovision Song Contest is a competition for public broadcasters from all over Europe and the Middle East. It is a competition for broadcasters – not for governments – and the Israeli public broadcaster has been taking part in the competition for fifty years,” they told the Belgian magazine HLN.
Ultimately, as a result of the “Rising Star” pre-selection at the beginning of February, she became the representative of Israel Eden Golan. From then on, work began on a Eurovision song for the 20-year-old singer. Ultimately, the song was chosen “October Rain” (check!), which aroused controversy due to the text’s references to the October attack on the country by Hamas militants.
The text approved by KAN included, among others: such lines as “There’s no air left to breathe” and “They were all good children, each one of them”.
At the request of the President of Israel Isaac Herzog it was decided to change the fragments that aroused heated emotions so that they would not violate the principle of the apolitical nature of the competition.
“The president emphasized that especially at this time, when those who hate us are trying to push away and boycott the state of Israel from every stage, Israel must sound proud and raise its flag at the world forum, especially this year,” we read.
Now a new song has been presented, i.e. “Hurricane”. As the performer herself says about the song, it is about “a woman going through a personal crisis”, which is symbolized by the titular hurricane.
Check out the lyrics to the song “Hurricane” on Teksciory.pl
Let us remind you that despite the decision of the European Broadcasting Union, the Scandinavian countries (Filand and Norway) still threaten not to take part in the competition. Musicians from… also protested Sweden. More than 1,000 artists signed a petition submitted to the host of this year’s event, demanding the exclusion of Israel from the competition. In response, American and British celebrities sent a letter to the EBU in which they appealed to uphold the decision to allow the country to perform at Eurovision.
“Removing Israel would be a reversal of justice. Israel is waging a war against a European Union-designated terrorist group that once again violated the ceasefire that day and then slaughtered 1,200 people. The current round of fighting is not a war Israel wanted. Nor did it start it.” ” – we read in the letter signed by such stars as: Helen Mirren, Liev Schreiber, Gene Simmons, Boy George, Julianna Margulies, Sharon Osbourne and Debra Messing.