Last update - 00:00 07/01/2007
Teapacks to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest
By Goel Pinto, Haaretz Correspondent
The band Teapacks on Sunday was chosen to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest that will take place in Finland this year.
The Broadcasting Authority committee on the Eurovision Song Contest, headed by journalist Yoav Ginai, was entrusted with the decision after the Broadcasting Authority discovered that it lacked the funds needed to hold a pre-Eurovision contest.
Teapacks, which agreed to participate in the contest, will appear in a special broadcast on Channel 1 and perform four songs. The committee and home audience will then vote to elect the song that will represent Israel in the Eurovision song contest.
The members of the committee, among them Yardena Arazi, Kobi Oshrat and Haim Uliel, examined several options for representative for Israel in the Eurovision and held a vote.
Liel, a young singer who represented Switzerland in last year's contest, came in second in the committee's vote. "A Star is Born" contest veteran Michel Guriashvili came in third.
"Teapacks is a band that has covered much artistic ground and ammased significant experience," said Yoav Ginai, who wrote the lyrics for the sond "Diva," which won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998.
Ginai also said that Teapacks lead singer Kobi Oz is "one of the most unique and original composers in the country, and we hope they [Teapacks] will present the audience with songs that would be right for the contest."