Lake Ismo Puljujärvi
In the next few weeks, we may see a very special play, in which the EBU and Israel shine in the main roles, writes Ismo Puljujärvi, Iltalehti’s news manager.
Windows95man represents Finland in Eurovision with the song No Rules together with Henri Piispanen. Matti Matikainen
Israel’s participation in Eurovision has been a real topic of controversy. Some think that the country that attacked Gaza should be excluded from the song contest of good will, while others advocate the participation of the Jewish state.
Now, perhaps a solution to the situation is being found, with which both the EBU, i.e. the European Broadcasting Union, and Israel can save face.
Israel is represented this year by a 20-year-old Eden Golanwhich the competition song has been rumored to be named after October Rain i.e. October rain. The name refers to the terrorist group Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7 last year.
Eurovision rules prohibit political lyrics, so the song is the EBU’s fault. Israel’s public broadcasting company has already said that the country is not going to make any changes to the song at any price.
So it looks like a special play is in store.
The EBU does not accept the competition song, which is why Israel dramatically announces that it will withdraw from the competition.
Why is such a presentation really required?
Neither wants to appear weak.
The EBU wants to show through its own activities that it is a responsible organizer with ultimate decision-making power.
It would not be the first time that the EBU rejects a song from a participating country.
When the song contest was held in Moscow in 2009, Georgia sent the band Stephane and 3G as its country’s representative. Competition song We Don’t Wanna Put In however, did not pass the EBU’s screen, as it was considered to refer to the country’s president, to Vladimir Putin.
Georgia and Russia had fought a short war a year before, so the dictator’s taunting was a balm for the wounds.
In the end, Georgia withdrew from the competition and returned the following year.
Another significant decision took place for Belarus in 2021. The band Galasy ZMesta was chosen to represent the country. Competition song Ya nauchu tebya (I’ll Teach You) was too political in the eyes of the EBU, so Belarus decided to skip the games.
So what is Israel’s role in this show?
Israel, on the other hand, does not want to bow to the pressure of other countries. On the other hand, how humiliating would it be to be left out of the finals and get shockingly bad phone calls in the semi-finals? By withdrawing from the competition citing the EBU’s “censorship”, however, there is an easier means of salvation.
With this, the organizers of the song contest will have peace of mind and the artists can focus on performing – the credibility of Eurovision has been saved.
The next few days and weeks will show how this show ends.