Eurovision vetoes Israel song submission again for being 'too political'

The second Eurovision song submitted by Israel was rejected by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) this week for being "too political", according to Israeli media.

'Dance Forever' by 20-year-old Russian-Israeli singer Eden Golan, which is mostly in English with some Hebrew words, reportedly refers to Hamas's attack on the Nova Music festival on 7 October, where 364 people were killed.

Another submission by Israel, Eden Golan's 'October Rain', was also disqualified for its politicised lyrics.

The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation refused to change the song's lyrics or melody and had "no intention of replacing" the song, in an apparent threat to boycott the competition.

Eurovision has banned songs from other countries containing political messages.

On Sunday, Israel said that it might withdraw from this year's contest if organisers reject the lyrics for its latest submission.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has also spoken of the importance of Israel participating in Eurovision, but that "being smart is also important, not just being right".

While Israeli authorities are trying to find a solution with the union, insiders are "pessimistic" about reaching a compromise.

Israel has until 11 March to submit a song that complies with the Eurovision rules.

European lawmakers told the public service media alliance behind the Eurovision Song Contest on Tuesday that Israel's involvement "conceals its genocidal behaviour" 👇https://t.co/h4DdjjfCNv

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) February 8, 2024

The EBU this week rejected calls for Israel to be banned from competing altogether because of the war on Gaza, which has killed over 30,000 people.

The organisers faced backlash for perceived double standards, after excluding Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, while including Israel, which the UN's highest court has ruled is plausibly carrying out genocide in Gaza. 

Artists from countries such as Finland and Iceland have called for a boycott of the competition over Israel’s entry.