Israel rewrote its Eurovision Song Contest entry 'October Rain,' which seemingly referenced the October 7 Hamas terror attack

• Israel changed the lyrics of its Eurovision entry, saying the original ones were deemed too political.
• Organizers say the song now has non-political lyrics, replacing the original 'October Rain.'

Israel has changed the lyrics to its Eurovision Song Contest entry saying the original ones were deemed too political, Israel's national broadcaster said on Monday.

Israel originally submitted a song titled "October Rain," to be performed by 20-year-old singer Eden Golan.

Israel's selection process for this year's contest unfolded against a backdrop of turmoil. The country's original televised selection process was postponed after the Hamas terror attacks on October 7, the BBC reported.

Golan later dedicated her entry-winning performance to the 130 Israeli hostages being held in Gaza, the outlet reported.

The controversy over the entry began in February when state broadcaster KAN — which manages Israel's entry — announced that the European Broadcasting Union, or EBU, had said "October Rain" was too political.

The EBU, which runs the contest, also requested changes to the lyrics of a second song KAN had submitted, titled "Dance Forever," The Times of Israel reported.

The EBU declined to confirm this to Business Insider, instead saying that the discussions over the entry are confidential and are still ongoing between it and KAN.

On February 22, KAN said it would not withdraw "October Rain," while publishing its lyrics in full in English and Hebrew.

These included lines such as: "Writers of the history, stand with me," and "I'm still wet from this October rain."

At the time, Miki Zohar, Israel's minister for culture and sports, wrote to the EBU in protest, arguing that the song was not political, but said that it reflects the feelings of Israeli people during a complex period for the country, KAN reported.

But a few days later, KAN reversed its stance after President Isaac Herzog said that "Israel must have its voice heard with its head raised high and fly its flag in every global forum, particularly this year," The Times of Israel reported.

The formal deadline for all countries to submit their songs is March 11.

The new song, titled "Hurricane," is based on the same melody as "October Rain" but now has lyrics that deal with personal issues, KAN reported.

Golan, the singer, said in a statement that "this is a different and distinct year, and we are dealing with things we did not deal with in past years," The Times of Israel reported.

"It is more important to me than ever to represent my country with pride," she added.

The Eurovision Song Contest has long attempted to maintain strict political neutrality — a difficult feat with 28 countries performing in its final extravaganza.

"One of the cornerstones of the Contest is the non-political nature of the event," it said in a statement last year, when it rejected a request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to address the crowd.

This year, Israel has also faced calls for a boycott from artists in participating countries, related to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

These include petitions and open letters circulating among industry professionals in Iceland, Finland, and Norway, per the BBC.

On Sunday, Vice President Kamala Harris rebuked Israel for a "humanitarian catastrophe" over its invasion of Gaza, which according to the United Nations has killed about 25,000 civilians.