The 2024 Eurovision contest took place less than half a year after the October 7th invasion of Israel.
Reeling from the day Gaza brought the Holocaust to the Jewish State it was natural to submit a song that referenced the recent national trauma. The Eurovision committee declared the entry political, and rejected it.
Because being Jewish and alive is political. Because being Jewish and objecting to being slaughtered is political.
In a post-October 7th world, when so many in Europe celebrated the torture, rape, slaughter, and taking hostage of Jews, it was crucial not to be erased from this important European stage. What should have been a fun song contest became a battle for Israel’s existence in the cultural realm.
For the right to be seen and heard.
That’s how the song October Rain morphed into Hurricane.
This year, Israel approached the Eurovision strategically. This time, we would not be censored.
The first step was choosing Yuval Raphael, a Nova survivor, to represent Israel. Her presence is a statement and, to the guilty, an accusation. Her story is undeniable.
The Eurovision committee made an issue of wearing yellow ribbons in recognition of Israel’s hostages, still in Gaza. This, too, they said, was political (although allowing Palestinian flags to be waved seemed reasonable to them).
Eurovision stage performances tend to include colorful stages and often, many dancers. Yuval Raphael’s set design and costume are black, and she stands on the stage alone, like Israel.
Her song is mostly in English with only one line in Hebrew, taken from Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs), Chapter 8, Verse 7: “Many waters cannot extinguish love, And rivers cannot flood it.”
מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֗ים לֹ֤א יֽוּכְלוּ֙ לְכַבּ֣וֹת אֶת־הָאַהֲבָ֔ה וּנְהָר֖וֹת לֹ֣א יִשְׁטְפ֑וּהָ
What does this mean?
“Many waters cannot extinguish love” – True love is so strong that even overwhelming forces (like floodwaters) cannot put it out. It’s enduring and indestructible.
“And rivers cannot flood it” – Even when faced with surging, destructive challenges, love remains unshaken.
Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, 1040–1105) one of Judaism’s most important commentators on the Torah and Talmud, interpreted this verse as an allegory: The “many waters” symbolize the nations of the world who tried to destroy Israel through persecution, exile, and decrees. Despite all this suffering, they could not extinguish Israel’s love for God. In other words, no external force, no matter how overwhelming, can break the deep bond of love between God and His people.
REMEMBER THAT HAMAS CALLED THE OCTOBER 7 INVASION: “AL AQSA FLOOD”
And Yuval, a Nova survivor, stands on the stage, alone, with waters flooding behind her, smiles and sings: A NEW DAY WILL RISE.
It would be wonderful if Yuval won the Eurovision. It would uplift our entire nation. But what matters is that Israel stood with pride and dignity and declared our message to the nations and before God. We are Zion, home to stay and no matter what flood is unleashed against us, a new day will rise.
{Reposted from the author’s blog}
