Israel threatens Eurovision pull-out if song is vetoed as ‘too political’

That could mean the ballad and its 20-year-old Russian-Israeli singer fall foul of Eurovision rules, which ban political statements.

“They were all good children, every one of them”, says a line from Golan’s song, according to the website of the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (Kan) which published them in full.

“There is no air left to breathe, There is no place for me,” the song ends.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said only that it was “currently in the process of scrutinising the lyrics” and a final decision had yet to be 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,” it added.

Kan said it was “in dialogue” with the EBU about the country’s Eurovision offering before the March 11 entry deadline.

But it stated that the broadcaster has “no intention to replace the song”.

“Meaning, if it is not approved by the European Broadcasting Union, Israel will not be able to participate in the competition,” it added in a statement on Thursday.

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Israel’s Noa Kirel placed third in last year’s competition in Liverpool, UK behind Finland’s Kaarija and Sweden’s Loreen.

Loreen’s victory takes the competition back to Sweden, 50 years after ABBA’s victory with Waterloo.

But 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 pop queen 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 Hamas’ October 7 attack which resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people in Israel, according to an Agence France-Presse tally based on official Israeli figures.

But the potential for a ban on its entry has caused outrage, with Israel’s culture and sports minister, Miki Zohar, calling the prospect “scandalous”.

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Even Israeli President Isaac Herzog waded in, saying he was “trying to help” as much as he could because of the high-profile nature of the show.

Golan’s song was “moving”, he wrote on social media, and “expresses the feelings of the people and the country these days, and is not political”.

“I call on the European Broadcasting Union to continue to act professionally and neutrally, and not to let politics affect art,” he added.