Eurovision probes Israel entry's 'references to Hamas conflict'

Eurovision Song Contest organizers are scrutinising the Israeli submission to the competition after lyrics leaked to the media appeared to refer to the October 7 attack by Hamas that triggered the Gaza conflict.

Eurovision, which this year will take place on May 7-11 in the Swedish city of Malmo, bills itself as a non-political event and can disqualify contestants deemed to have breached that rule.

Israel's entry, 'October Rain', is a ballad sung by female soloist Eden Golan. According to the Israel Hayom newspaper, it includes lines such as 'There's no air left to breathe' and 'They were all good children, each one of them' - apparent allusions to people who holed up in shelters as Hamas gunmen carried out a killing and kidnapping spree at an outdoor music festival and other sites.

The song also contains a reference to 'flowers' which, Israel Hayom said, is military code for fatalities of the conflict. A source in national broadcaster Kan, which sponsors the Israeli entry, confirmed that the leaked lyrics were accurate.

In a statement, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises Eurovision, said it is "in the process of scrutinizing the lyrics, a process which is confidential between the EBU and the broadcaster until a final decision has been taken."

"If a song is deemed unacceptable for any reason, broadcasters are then given the opportunity to submit a new song or new lyrics, as per the rules of the contest," the EBU added. Kan said it was "in dialogue" with the EBU about the issue.

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Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar said in a post on X that any decision to disqualify 'October Rain' would be "scandalous". He denied that the song is political, saying it "gives voice to the feelings of the people and the country nowadays."

The annual Eurovision contest has been won four times by Israel, where success is often viewed as a barometer of the country's standing internationally.

The EBU has previously forced countries to change their lyrics. In 2009, Georgia withdrew from the contest after their proposed entry - We Don't Wanna Put In - was rejected for its obvious references to the Russian president.

Meanwhile, artists from other Eurovision nations have called for Israel to be suspended. Iceland's Association of Composers and Lyricists published a statement saying Israel's military action made its participation incompatible with an event "characterised by joy and optimism."

Protests have been held in cities such as Stockholm but so far the EBU has not budged on Israel's participation.

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