Estonia: Eurovision judge rejected from Eesti Laul 2024 due to Israeli citizenship!

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A scandal has apparently been created in the Estonian media after an experienced judge been rejected by the jury of Eesti Laul 2024!

More specifically, Alon Amir had received an accepted an invitation to be a member of the Eesti Laul 2024 judging panel, but he was informed ten days before the competition that he had been excluded due to his Israeli citizenship. More specifically, he was informed by phone about the channel’s decision while the Estonian media is making a reason for exercising a veto on anything related to the state of Israel in this sensitive period, since the channel did not want any negative criticism.

Amir, who has been the spokesperson of Israel in 2009, 2012, 2013 και 2016 and also a judge at many national finals, stated:

“It was done not in a malicious way… I understand them. If they bring an Israeli judge, it will cause a mess.

When I received the invitation, I thought to myself that they were very brave to invite an Israeli at a time like this… The lovely production team wanted me, but the Estonian TV management vetoed it because it would bring unwanted attention in their direction. I understand them. I’m upset on a personal level, but I understand the desire to avoid it.”

Surely, Eurovision 2024 is already a controversial year with Israel being among the countries who are participating in the contest.

Stay tuned in EurovisionFun for all the latest updates of Eurovision 2024!

Source: jpost

EBU is currently reviewing the lyrics of Israel’s Eurovision 2024 song while KAN refuses to make any changes

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The EBU claims that it has not yet finished reviewing the song’s lyrics in order to approve Israel’s Eurovision 2024 song, which is reportedly titled “October Rain”, so it seems that the country’s is currently uncertain. However, the country’s public broadcaster insists that Eden Golan, who will represent Israel in the competition, does not plan to change the song’s lyrics.

According to YNET, the EBU is debating whether to disqualify Eden’s song—and hence, Israel’s entry for Eurovision 2024—because it carries political overtones. The song “October Rain” alludes to the events of October 7, 2023, specifically the terrorist attack on Israeli territory by Hamas.

The official response from the EBU and Israel’s public television arrived a little while ago, and rather than making things clearer, it made things more confusing.

The EBU has not made an official decision yet

In an official statement, the EBU said that the review of the lyrics of the song has not been completed and that they are in contact with the CAN to resolve the issue.

The song’s lyrics are presently being examined; this is a confidential process that is being carried out between the public broadcaster and the EBU until a decision is made. The deadline for all broadcasters to officially submit their songs is March 11. As per the competition rules, KAN is allowed to submit a new song or new lyrics if a song fails to match the requirements for whatever reason.

KAN does not consider changing the song

KAN opposes this possibility, saying that withdrawing in such a situation is a one-way choice, even though it is possible to change the lyrics if they are deemed political.

“KAN” is in discussions with the EBU. It is important to mention that the Israel Broadcasting Corporation has no plans to change the song. In other words, Israel will not be allowed to compete in the contest that will take place in Sweden in May if it is not permitted by the European Broadcasting Union.

The country’s government appears to support the aforementioned decision, as stated by Culture Minister Miki Zohar, who asked the supervisory authority to make the decision without taking political considerations into account. Zohar clarified in his statements that he finds it unacceptable that the EBU does not approve the song’s lyrics.

The intention of the European Broadcasting Union to exclude the Israeli song from Eurovision is scandalous. The song of Israel, which will be performed by Eden Golan, is a moving song that expresses the feelings of the people and the country these days and is not political.I call on European Broadcasting to continue to act professionally and neutrally and not to let politics influence music.

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the Eurovision 2024 updates!

Sources: EBU, KAN

Israeli Entry in Eurovision 2024 Under Threat as EBU Considers Disqualification!

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After being examined by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), ynet has learned from European sources that there is concern that the song sent to represent Israel in Eurovision 2024 may be disqualified due to what they claim are political statements. Following these messages, the board of KAN hastily convened and decided:

“We will not change the lyrics or the song, even if it means Israel will not participate in Eurovision this year.”

Concerns Over Israel’s Participation in Eurovision: EBU Contemplates Disqualifying “October’s Rain”

Israeli singer Eden Golan, who was supposed to perform the song “October’s Rain” at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo in May, was scheduled to unveil the song last week. However, the decision was postponed by the board for a few more days. ynet learned then that the reason for the delay stemmed from a request by the European Broadcasting Union to receive the song before its release, and to approve its lyrics to ensure there are no political messages. Sources familiar with the details told ynet that this was not an exceptional request for Israel and that it has been a clause in the Eurovision regulations for several years.

However, European sources have now told ynet that the EBU intends to disqualify the song. In response, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation has stood firm and clarified that it will not change the lyrics – whatever the cost. Following the messages from the EBU about the intention to disqualify the song, the board of the corporation hastily convened and decided,

“We will not change the lyrics or the song, even if it means Israel will not participate in Eurovision this year.”

In an official response to ynet’s revelation, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation stated:

“The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation is in dialogue with the EBU regarding the song that will represent Israel in Eurovision.”

No response has been provided by the EBU at the time of reporting.

Against the backdrop of these developments, just a week ago, Eurovision organizers officially announced that they had once again postponed the requests to disqualify Israel from the competition, in contrast to the steps taken against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. “Comparisons between war and conflict are complex, and as a non-political communication organization, this is not the place for us to make them,” said EBU CEO Noel Curran in an interview. He added that the association is aware of the voices calling for Israel’s disqualification but emphasized, “Eurovision is a musical event, not a political one; it’s not a competition between governments.”

As a reminder, the European Broadcasting Union has consistently shown that it does not take a political stance regarding the conflict with Hamas. Additionally, the EBU responded to Israel’s request to participate in the second semi-final of the competition, to be held in Malmo, due to the proximity to Holocaust Remembrance Day and Independence Day.

The controversy surrounding Israel’s entry in Eurovision 2024 underscores the delicate balance between music and politics in the iconic competition. While the European Broadcasting Union maintains that Eurovision is a musical event devoid of political undertones, tensions arise when lyrics are perceived to contain political messages. Israel’s steadfast refusal to alter the song’s lyrics, despite the risk of disqualification, highlights the importance placed on artistic integrity and freedom of expression.

As the dialogue between the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation and the EBU continues, the outcome remains uncertain, leaving Eurovision fans on edge as they await further developments.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!

Source: Ynet

 

Israel: With “October Rain” Eden Golan in Eurovision 2024?

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According to reports in the Israeli media, the song chosen by the country’s public television commission for Eden Golan to compete in Eurovision 2024 is October Rain. However, a conflict between the composers of the song can bring about last-minute twists.

Clash of the creators of October Rain

Eran Suisa of Israel Hayom, a well-known journalist who has from time to time revealed many news concerning Israel in the contest, in his article reveals that the selection of KAN for Eurovision 2024 is the song of Avi Ohion, Keren Peles and Stav Begar, October Rain. The song is in English lyrics, except for two phrases in Hebrew, and refers to the events of October 7, with the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israeli soil, which resulted in the death of thousands of civilians and the kidnapping of hundreds of hostages. This terrorist attack led to the start of hostilities in Gaza, between the armed forces of Israel and the fighters of Hamas. A war conflict that continues to this day.

The announcement of the song was expected to happen immediately after its approval by the EBU, while the video clip would be released in early March. However, a last-minute development may bring reversals. So according to what Era Suisa reports, Stav Begar reportedly wants his name placed among the creators of the song, with Avi Ohion and Keren Peles not agreeing and insisting that he should be credited simply as an arranger.

Stav Berger claims that if his request is not accepted, he will ask for the song to be withdrawn. This would eventually result in the second shortlisted song, Mai Safdia and Yanon Yahal (creators of Unicorn) being selected.

Is October Rain a political song?

In addition to all of the above, the debate was also opened as to whether Israel could participate in the competition, with a song with this title and these implications?

There are not a few who believe that the song is clearly political and the EBU should not allow it. On the other hand, there are also voices that parallel the case of October Rain with Jamala’s 1944, saying that the song simply recounts events that have happened, having a historical and not a political connotation.

The solution will be given by the EBU which will approve or not the lyrics of the song. KAN in any case has an alternative solution, the second song, which it has also sent for approval to the EBU.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Israel: KAN’s announcement of Eden Golan’s song for Eurovision 2024!

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Israel’s public television, KAN, has come up with the song with which Eden Golan will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. The committee selected the winning song by secret ballot. KAN sent its decision to the EBU for approval. Once the EBU approves the song, it will be released to the public.

The KAN announcement states:

The committee for the selection of the song that will represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest met at the company’s offices and held a professional discussion that ended with a secret vote for the two songs that reached the final stage.
The voting results, confirmed by the company’s lawyers and approved by the committee.

We remind you that the two nominated songs are signed by important creators, with experience and success in the competition. One is composed by Eden Golan herself and produced by Yanon Yahel and Mai Sepadia (composer of Unicorn) and the other is composed again by Eden Golan, in collaboration with Keren Peles, Avi Ohayon and Stu Bager (composer of Toy ).

A few days ago, the EBU confirmed once again Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2024, despite calls to the contrary from various centers, which called for its exclusion from the upcoming song contest.

We are now waiting with interest for the final announcement about Israel’s entry in Eurovision 2024. As mentioned above, this will happen after the final approval of the song by the EBU.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

A new statement from the EBU confirms Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2024!

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Israel can still take part in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, organizers say again, despite calls for it to be excluded because of the war in Gaza, as it was with Russia in 2022 after its invasion of Ukraine.

The EBU has once again confirmed Israel’s participation

The EBU in a new statement on Thursday, after checking all the facts and data, decided that Israel could participate in the upcoming song contest in Malmö, Sweden.

“The Eurovision song contest is a non-political music event and a competition between public service broadcasters who are members of the EBU. It is not a contest between governments,” the EBU director general, Noel Curran, said in a statement.

Our governing bodies … did review the participants list for the 2024 contest and agreed that the Israeli public broadcaster Kan met all the competition rules for this year and can participate, as it has for the past 50 years.

Israel and Russia two different cases

But Noel Curran does not stop at this statement, he also explains the reasons why the case of Israel’s participation in the Eurovision contest is not the same as that of Russia.

In the case of Russia, the Russian broadcasters themselves were suspended from the EBU due to their persistent breaches of membership obligations and the violation of public service values.

The relationship between Kan and the Israeli government is fundamentally different to the relationship that exists between those Russian members and the state, with the Israeli government in recent years threatening to close down the broadcaster.

Curran finally explained how the EBU followed other international organizations, such as sports federations, that kept Israel in their competitions.

Israel will be represented at Eurovision 2024 by Eden Golan, with a song to be announced in the coming weeks. The Israeli delegation this year will limit its appearances to a minimum for security reasons, even avoiding the parade on the turquoise carpet, one week before the competition.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Source: The Guardian

Israel: With the composers of Unicorn or Toy, Eden at Eurovision 2024?

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According to Israeli media reports today, KAN rejected one of Eden Golan’s top three candidate songs for Eurovision 2024 because of its lyrics, which contained political overtones. Two songs remain in contention, with major composers signing both.

The delay in announcing the song with which Eden Golan will represent Israel at Eurovision 2024 is due to the fact that KAN rejected one of the top three candidate songs. The verse, YNET reports today, contained political messages and was therefore against the competition’s regulations.

The decision on the song that will be chosen is expected perhaps at the end of the week, as long as the EBU first approves the lyrics of the two remaining songs. A committee will make the final selection and if there is no issue, the song announcement will take place in the next few days.

It is worth noting that the control of the lyrics was done after a request addressed by the Israeli public television to the EBU, something that has happened several times in the past.

The two songs are signed by very important composers, who have great successes to their credit both in Eurovision and outside of it. One is composed by Eden Golan herself and produced by Yanon Yahel and Mai Sepadia (composer of Unicorn) and the other is composed again by Eden Golan, in collaboration with Keren Peles, Avi Ohayon and Stu Bager (composer of Toy ).

All of the above is happening at a time when more than 400 celebrities from the entertainment industry support Israel’s participation in Eurovision and at a time when, once again, the EBU confirms that Israel will participate normally in the competition, separating its case from that of Russia a few years ago.

With the minimum of appearances as you read in our previous article, Israel is expected to participate normally in Malmo, in a very special year for the country and while the war conflict in Gaza continues.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the developments!

Source: YNET

Israel: International entertainment personalities support the country’s participation in Eurovision!

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The issue of Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest has devided the entertainment industry since the beginning of the new war conflict between Israel and Palestine.

In an open letter, published on the website of the organization Creative Community for Peace, a number of international figures support the EBU’s decision to let the country compete normally in the upcoming Contest.

Over 400 people from the entertainment industry support Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Among them many well-known names, such as Helen Mirren, Gene Simmons, Boy George, Debra Messing, Mayim Bialik, Sharon Osbourne, Diane Warren and Liev Schreiber. All of them believe that the competition should be a place of consensus and that it should not be used as a political tool.

“We believe that unifying events such as singing competitions are essential to help bridge cultural differences and bring people from different backgrounds together through the love for music”

Slovenia: RTV SLO to Seek EBU and Council Members’ Opinion on Israel’s Participation in the Contest!

Source: expressen.se

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Israel: Eden Golan will not attend the turquoise carpet, honoring Holocaust Remembrance Day!

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The Israeli media are reporting that Eden Golan will not be marching on the Turquoise Carpet on Sunday, May 5th, both for security reasons and wanting to honor Holocaust Remembrance Day.

A large and complex security plan is being prepared for the Eden Golan by both the Swedish organizers and the Israeli security services. Eden Golan, who after her victory in HaKokhav Haba and her selection as the representative of Israel in Eurovision 2024, receives many online attacks, will limit her appearances in Malmö to a minimum.

In this context is the decision of the Israeli public television, Eden Golan not to march on the turquoise carpet, together with the other 36 artists participating in this year’s song contest, which will take place on Sunday 5/5 and essentially marks the start of Eurovision 2024.

Both for security reasons, but also to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day, Eden Golan will not attend this event.

All this is happening while the pressure is intensifying from the artists of various countries, who do not want the presence of Israel in Malmö, something that the EBU has made clear is not going to happen, saying that the Israeli public television meets all the conditions to take part normally in the contest , reminding everyone that the Eurovision song contest is a non-political event.

At the moment, Eden Golan is in the recording phase of the song with which she will represent Israel at Eurovision 2024, which will be released in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Slovenia: RTV SLO to Seek EBU and Council Members’ Opinion on Israel’s Participation in the Contest!

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Following a plea from the Palestinian Rights Movement to the management of Slovenia’s public broadcaster, RTV SLO, there’s now a call to exclude Israel from the Eurovision. Specifically, 25 members of the European Parliament requested the cancellation of the decision allowing Israel’s participation in the upcoming contest in May in Malmö.

Several non-governmental and trade union organizations, Slovenian cultural figures, and artists, including some former Slovenian Eurovision representatives, signed the call by the Palestinian Rights Movement.

RTV SLO responded to their request, stating:

“The majority of the global audience is closely following events in Gaza. The EBU has already explained twice that the participants in the Eurovision Song Contest are public broadcasters, not countries.”

However, they added that they would still urge the EBU and its members to conduct a substantive discussion on the matter.

Raiven will represent Slovenia in Malmö this coming May with the song “Veronika,” entirely in Slovenian. She will compete in the second half of the First Semi-Final on May 7th.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the developments regarding Slovenia’s participation in the Eurovision 2024 in Malmö!

Source: RTV SLO