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Friday March 9, 2007

Eurovision may ban Israel pop group

by dan baron
jta

jerusalem | Israel’s entry for the 2007 Eurovision songfest has triggered controversy for lyrics that allude to the most combustible of current crises — Iran’s nuclear program.

Titled “Push the Button,” the song speaks of “crazy leaders in the world who are trying to trick us” and “rockets flying and landing on me.”

A line from the chorus seems even more pointed: “I wanna have a lot of fun, just sitting in the sun, but nevertheless, he’s gonna push the button.”

Contributors to a BBC chat room were quick to discern a reference to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose calls for Israel to be “wiped off the map” and Holocaust denial have stirred international concern that there could be a cataclysmic war if his country produces nuclear weapons.

In Finland, where this year’s Eurovision takes place in May, objections were directed at Israel and its band of choice, hip-hop cum urban-pop group Teapacks.

“It’s absolutely clear that this kind of message is not appropriate for the competition,” said Kjell Ekholm, a Eurovision organizer, adding that contest officials would convene to discuss whether to disqualify “Push the Button.”

But the Israel Broadcast Authority, which selected the song, said it had submitted the lyrics to the European Broadcasting Association and encountered no problems.

Teapacks’ lead vocalist Kobi Oz argued that “Push the Button,” which also contains lyrics about crime, should be appreciated for capturing the Israeli national mood.

“The song does have a line that talks about ‘several crazy leaders,’” Oz said. “We didn’t mention any names. But when the British read the song, they decided to draw the conclusion that it was aimed at Iran.”

Founded shortly after World War II, the annual Eurovision competition is an opportunity for Europeans to flaunt a changing array of pop songs that seem to serve as alternative national anthems — devoid of any overt nationalism — and choose a winner through an elaborate phone-in vote. Israel was allowed into the competition in 1973.

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