Changes have been made to Israel’s Eurovision lyrics for 2024 to allow it to be eligible to compete. Previously, Israel’s entry, sung by Eden Golan, contained references to the victims of the October 7 attacks by Hamas and contained allusions to potential war fatalities. These political references were in violation of the Eurovision rules on political neutrality. The song’s title has now been changed to ‘Hurricane’, and it has been confirmed that the song is now eligible for the competition.
Israeli president Isaac Herzog pointed out the importance of Israel’s participation in the competition and called for “necessary adjustments” to ensure that this year’s Eurovision would not exclude Israel. He emphasized that Israel must be heard and recognized on every global forum and that this was particularly important now that so many anti-Israeli groups sought to oppose and boycott Israel.
Eurovision organisers European Broadcasting Union (EBU) reviewed the lyrics of the song and confirmed in a statement that the entry is now eligible for competition. The EBU’s governing board made the decision after careful consideration of the song content under the guidelines of the competition.
The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict has led to boycotts and calls for Israel to be banned from the competition. Over 1,000 Swedish artists have publicly called for Israel to be banned this year, such as Robyn, Fever Ray and First Aid Kit, and 1,400 Finnish music industry professionals have signed a petition to ban the country from participating. The UK’s entry, Olly Alexander, has also been criticized for signing a pro-Palestine letter that stated Israel was an “apartheid state” and accused it of genocide in December
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