Israeli Wheelchair Dancing Duo Wins First Place in European Championship, Dedicates Routine to Hamas Hostages
by Shiryn Ghermezian
Eden Golan performing “Hurricane” for Israel at the second semi-final for the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest at Malmo Arena on May 9, 2024. Photo: Corinne Cumming/EBU
Israeli wheelchair dancer Tomer Margalit and her dance partner Orel Chalaf won first place at the Para Dance Sport European Championship held in Prague on Friday with a combination freestyle routine that was set to Eden Golan‘s Eurovision song “October Rain.”
The dancing duo also dedicated their routine to the hostages still held captive by Hamas terrorists since being abducted on Oct. 7, 2023, during their deadly rampage across southern Israel. The dancers performed parts of their routine while blindfolded and tried to resemble the victims of the Oct. 7 attack by wearing garments that were torn, dirty, or appeared to be blood-stained.
A Ness Ziona native, Margalit, 29, has been in a wheelchair since the age of 14 after suffering from the disease transverse myelitis. Chalaf, 21, is a professional Latin dancer, according to Ynet. The two dancers said that many of their competitors in the Para Dance Sport European Championship, as well as others involved in the competition, asked them to explain their dance, costumes and the significance of the song, according to the Israel Paralympic Committee. They welcomed the opportunity to draw awareness to the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre, including the remaining hostages. Margalit and Chalaf said they hope that by the next para dance world championship, the hostages will be back home and there will be no longer a need to call for their return.
View this post on Instagram
“October Rain” has lyrics that directly reference the Oct. 7 Hamas-led terrorist attack in Israel. The song was initially written for Golan to perform at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden. However, it was rejected by the European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the contest, for being too political. Golan instead competed in the Eurovision with a reworded version of the song, titled “Hurricane,” and finished in fifth place in the international competition.
The 2024 Para Dance Sport European Championship took place from Nov. 22-24. Margalit shared in an Instagram post that she won first place a total of three times in the competition this year, including in solo dances.
